- April 24, 2025
Martha Graham was born on May 11, 1894, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, and died on April 1, 1991, in New York City. Her father, George Graham, was a physician specializing in nervous disorders, and her mother, Jane Beers Graham, was a descendant of Myles Standish. In 1908, the family moved to Santa Barbara, California. Graham was influenced by her father’s work, which exposed her to the connection between physical movement and emotional expression. She began studying dance relatively late, at the age of 22, after seeing Ruth St. Denis perform.
Graham began her formal dance training in 1916 at the Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts, founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn, in Los Angeles. She quickly became a prominent student and performer, touring with the Denishawn company for several years. In 1923, she left Denishawn to pursue her own artistic vision.
In 1926, Graham founded the Martha Graham Dance Company and School of Contemporary Dance in New York City. She developed a unique dance technique based on the principles of “contraction and release,” derived from the breath cycle and the emotional expression of the human body. Her technique emphasized angularity, tension, and dramatic intensity, breaking away from the traditional ballet aesthetic. The Graham technique became one of the most influential and recognizable modern dance techniques.
Graham choreographed over 180 works during her career. Her choreography often explored themes of Greek mythology, American history, and psychological dramas. Notable works include:
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