Martha Graham, the first ever dancer to perform at the White House, was an extraordinary artist who revolutionized modern dance. With a career spanning over half a century, she created over 180 works as a dancer and choreographer, leaving a lasting impact on the art form. Graham believed in using dance as a medium to express intense human emotions and reveal the inner man. Her influence on modern dance has been compared to the likes of Picasso and Stravinsky in their respective fields. Collaborating with painters, designers, and musicians, Graham produced aesthetically appealing and emotionally profound works of art. Her experimentation with social, political, and psychological themes influenced generations of choreographers and dancers, including renowned figures such as Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharp. Founding the Martha Graham Dance Company, she established the oldest American dance company, serving as a launch pad for many great modern dancers and choreographers.
Quick Facts
- Died At Age: 96
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Erick Hawkins
- Father: George Graham
- Mother: Jane Beers
- Born Country: United States
- Quotes By Martha Graham
- Ballet Dancers
- Died on: April 1, 1991
- Place of death: New York, New York, United States
- U.S. State: Pennsylvania
- Ancestry: British American, Irish American
- Cause of Death: Pneumonia
- Awards: 1976 – Presidential Medal of Freedom highest civilian award of the USA
Childhood & Early Life
Martha Graham was born on May 11, 1894, in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of George Graham, a physician, and his wife Jane Beers. Her father practiced psychiatry.
Education and Early Career
In the mid-1910s, Martha Graham joined the Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts, founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn. At the school, she was exposed to various dance styles from around the world, including folk, classical, experimental, Oriental, and American Indian. She studied at the school until 1923.
Under the guidance of Ted Shawn, Martha Graham performed an Aztec ballet called “Xochitl” and an Egyptian dance with Lillian Powell in a short silent film in 1922. These performances were well-received and helped establish her career.
Career
After leaving Denishawn in 1923, Martha Graham became a featured dancer in the Greenwich Village Follies revue. She also taught dance at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York in 1924.
In 1926, Martha Graham made her debut as an independent artist in New York. She founded the Martha Graham Dance Company, which became a renowned institution for dancers and choreographers.
Throughout her career, Martha Graham experimented with dance movements and explored various themes through her performances and choreography. Some of her notable works include “Deaths and Entrances” (1943), “Appalachian Spring” (1944), “Dark Meadow” (1946), and “Errand into the Maze” (1947).
Major Works
Martha Graham’s most significant contribution to the dance world is the founding of the Martha Graham Dance Company. It is the oldest continually performing dance company in the world and has trained many world-famous dancers and choreographers. The company has been recognized as “one of the seven wonders of the artistic universe” by the Washington Post.
Awards & Achievements
Martha Graham received numerous accolades throughout her career. In 1976, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States. In 1987, she was inducted into the National Museum of Dance’s Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame. In 1998, “Time” magazine named her the “Dancer of the Century.”
Personal Life & Legacy
Martha Graham married dancer Eric Hawkins in 1948, but they separated in 1954. She struggled with alcohol addiction and depression at one point in her life but overcame these challenges and continued her career as a choreographer.
Martha Graham passed away on April 1, 1991, at the age of 96, due to pneumonia. She left behind a lasting legacy in the world of dance and is remembered as one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th century.