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![]() American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham was a revolutionary artist of modern dance in the early 20th century. Born in Allegheny, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in May 1894, her family moved to California when she was 10. She was inspired at that early age to become a dancer when she saw Ruth St. Denis perform her exotic "Epytia" modern dance in 1914. After much study, Graham brought a different dynamics and interpretation to modern dance, one of sharp angles and natural motion. Graham's father was an "alienist," a term used at the turn of the century describe a physician who specialized in human psychology. Dr. Graham was interested in the way people used their bodies, and that interest was passed on to his eldest daughter. Martha frequently repeated her father's maxim of "Movement never lies." Her abstract approach to dance and her minimal use of costumes and set decorations was disconcerting to audiences accustomed to the lovely fluid movements of modern dance introduced earlier by the likes of Isadora Duncan (many critics accused Graham of making dance "ugly"). What Graham wanted to evoke with her style of dance was a heightened awareness of life. She eventually developed a strong following and won over the critics. Her dance themes were inspired by America's past, biblical stories, historical figures, classical mythology, primitive rituals, and surprisingly, psychoanalyst Carl Jung's writings, Emily Dickinson's poems, Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings, and Zen Buddhism. She danced with such a passion that her presence on stage was electrifying. Graham founded the Dance Repertory Theater in New York in 1930. She was the first dancer to receive a Guggenheim fellowship in 1932. From 1931 to 1935, Graham toured the United States in the production "Electra." She was fascinated by different cultures, and her interest in Native Americans of the southwest United States was first embodied in the production "Primitive Mysteries." In 1937, she danced for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House. Her most famous dance, "Appalachian Spring," was first performed in 1944. Graham gave her last stage performance in 1968, at age 74. In all, she produced 181 original ballets. A year before her death in 1990, she choreographed, at age 95, Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag"; the show featured costumes by Calvin Klein.
Bio:
American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham was a revolutionary artist of modern dance in the early 20th century. Born in Allegheny, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in May 1894, her family moved to California when she was 10. She was inspired at that early age to become a dancer when she saw Ruth St. Denis perform her exotic "Epytia" modern dance in 1914. After much study, Graham brought a different dynamics and interpretation to modern dance, one of sharp angles and natural motion. Graham's father was an "alienist," a term used at the turn of the century describe a physician who specialized in human psychology. Dr. Graham was interested in the way people used their bodies, and that interest was passed on to his eldest daughter. Martha frequently repeated her father's maxim of "Movement never lies." Her abstract approach to dance and her minimal use of costumes and set decorations was disconcerting to audiences accustomed to the lovely fluid movements of modern dance introduced earlier by the likes of Isadora Duncan (many critics accused Graham of making dance "ugly"). What Graham wanted to evoke with her style of dance was a heightened awareness of life. She eventually developed a strong following and won over the critics. Her dance themes were inspired by America's past, biblical stories, historical figures, classical mythology, primitive rituals, and surprisingly, psychoanalyst Carl Jung's writings, Emily Dickinson's poems, Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings, and Zen Buddhism. She danced with such a passion that her presence on stage was electrifying. Graham founded the Dance Repertory Theater in New York in 1930. She was the first dancer to receive a Guggenheim fellowship in 1932. From 1931 to 1935, Graham toured the United States in the production "Electra." She was fascinated by different cultures, and her interest in Native Americans of the southwest United States was first embodied in the production "Primitive Mysteries." In 1937, she danced for President Franklin D. Roosevelt at the White House. Her most famous dance, "Appalachian Spring," was first performed in 1944. Graham gave her last stage performance in 1968, at age 74. In all, she produced 181 original ballets. A year before her death in 1990, she choreographed, at age 95, Scott Joplin's "Maple Leaf Rag"; the show featured costumes by Calvin Klein.
Tivia:
Her experimental work on what the body could do based on its own structure developed into what was known as "percussive movements."Was brought to the Eastman School of Music in 1926 by Rouben Mamoulian, who was then the 28-year-old director of the Eastman School of Drama.She was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1985 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C.Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976.Is portrayed by Richard Move in Ghostlight (2003)Graham has been sometimes termed the "Picasso of Dance" in that her importance and influence to modern dance can be considered equivalent to what Pablo Picasso was to modern visual arts.[33][34] Her impact has been also compared to the influence of Stravinsky on music and Frank Lloyd Wright on architecture.In the years that followed her departure from the stage, Graham sank into a deep depression fueled by views from the wings of young dancers performing many of the dances she had choreographed for herself and her former husband. Graham's health declined precipitously as she abused alcohol to numb her pain. Graham not only survived her hospital stay, but she rallied. In 1972, she quit drinking, returned to her studio, reorganized her company, and went on to choreograph ten new ballets and many revivals.To celebrate what would have been her 117th birthday on May 11, 2011, Google's logo for one day was turned into one dedicated to Graham's life and legacy.Graham herself lists her final performance as her 1970 appearance in Cortege of Eagles when she was 76 years old.In 2021 actress Mary Beth Peil portrayed Graham in the Netflix series Halston.Just before she became sick with pneumonia, she finished the final draft of her autobiography, Blood Memory, which was published posthumously in the fall of 1991.Her last completed ballet was 1990's Maple Leaf Rag.Founded in 1926 (the same year as Graham's professional dance company), the Martha Graham School is the oldest school of dance in the United States. First located in a small studio within Carnegie Hall, the school currently has two different studios in New York City.In 2013, the dance films by her were selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the registry's owner, The Library of Congress.In 2015 she was posthumously inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.In her lifetime she received honors ranging from the Key to the City of Paris to Japan's Imperial Order of the Precious Crown.On May 11, 2020, on what would have been Graham's 126th birthday, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts announced it had acquired Graham's archives for its Jerome Robbins Dance Division. The archive consists mainly of paper-based material, photographs and films, including rare footage of Graham dancing in works such as "Appalachian Spring" and "H��rodiade"; her script for "Night Journey"; and her handwritten notes for "American Document".Graham danced and taught for over seventy years.Graham was the first recipient of the American Dance Festival's award for her lifetime achievement in 1981.She was the first dancer to perform at the White House, travel abroad as a cultural ambassador, and receive the highest civilian award of the US: the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction(by President Gerald Ford). The First Lady Betty Ford had danced with Graham in her youth. Ford declared her "a national treasure".Graham's choreographies span 181 compositions.In 1998 Graham was posthumously named "Dancer of the Century" by Time magazine, and one of the female "Icons of the Century" by People.In 1984 Graham was awarded the highest French order of merit, the Legion of Honour by then Minister of culture Jack Lang.Her style, the Graham technique, reshaped American dance and is still taught worldwide.In 1957, Graham was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. |
| Name: |
Martha Graham |
Type: |
Additional Crew,Actress,Writer (IMDB) |
| Area: |
All World |
Platform: |
IMDB |
| Category: |
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Business scope: |
Additional Crew,Actress,Writer |
| Products for sale: |
Additional Crew,Actress,Writer |
| Last update: |
2024-07-01 04:56:19 |
| Biography: |
American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham was a revolutionary artist of modern dance in the early 20th century. Born in Allegheny, a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in May 1894, her family moved to California when she was 10. She was inspir |
| Trivia: |
Her experimental work on what the body could do based on its own structure developed into what was known as "percussive movements."Was brought to the Eastman School of Music in 1926 by Rouben Mamoulian, who was then the 28-year-old director of the Eastman School of Drama.She was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1985 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C.Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976.Is portrayed by Richard Move in Ghostlight (2003)Graham has been sometimes termed the "Picasso of Dance" in that her importance and influence to modern dance can be considered equivalent to what Pablo Picasso was to modern visual arts.[33][34] Her impact has been also compared to the influence of Stravinsky on music and Frank Lloyd Wright on architecture.In the years that followed her departure from the stage, Graham sank into a deep depression fueled by views from the wings of young dancers performing many of the dances she had choreographed for herself and her former husband. Graham's health declined precipitously as she abused alcohol to numb her pain. Graham not only survived her hospital stay, but she rallied. In 1972, she quit drinking, returned to her studio, reorganized her company, and went on to choreograph ten new ballets and many revivals.To celebrate what would have been her 117th birthday on May 11, 2011, Google's logo for one day was turned into one dedicated to Graham's life and legacy.Graham herself lists her final performance as her 1970 appearance in Cortege of Eagles when she was 76 years old.In 2021 actress Mary Beth Peil portrayed Graham in the Netflix series Halston.Just before she became sick with pneumonia, she finished the final draft of her autobiography, Blood Memory, which was published posthumously in the fall of 1991.Her last completed ballet was 1990's Maple Leaf Rag.Founded in 1926 (the same year as Graham's professional dance company), the Martha Graham School is the oldest school of dance in the United States. First located in a small studio within Carnegie Hall, the school currently has two different studios in New York City.In 2013, the dance films by her were selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the registry's owner, The Library of Congress.In 2015 she was posthumously inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame.In her lifetime she received honors ranging from the Key to the City of Paris to Japan's Imperial Order of the Precious Crown.On May 11, 2020, on what would have been Graham's 126th birthday, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts announced it had acquired Graham's archives for its Jerome Robbins Dance Division. The archive consists mainly of paper-based material, photographs and films, including rare footage of Graham dancing in works such as "Appalachian Spring" and "H��rodiade"; her script for "Night Journey"; and her handwritten notes for "American Document".Graham danced and taught for over seventy years.Graham was the first recipient of the American Dance Festival's award for her lifetime achievement in 1981.She was the first dancer to perform at the White House, travel abroad as a cultural ambassador, and receive the highest civilian award of the US: the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction(by President Gerald Ford). The First Lady Betty Ford had danced with Graham in her youth. Ford declared her "a national treasure".Graham's choreographies span 181 compositions.In 1998 Graham was posthumously named "Dancer of the Century" by Time magazine, and one of the female "Icons of the Century" by People.In 1984 Graham was awarded the highest French order of merit, the Legion of Honour by then Minister of culture Jack Lang.Her style, the Graham technique, reshaped American dance and is still taught worldwide.In 1957, Graham was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. |
| Quotes: |
Age is the acceptance of the term of years. But maturity is the glory of years.
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The body says what words cannot.
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You are unique and if that is not fulfilled, then something has been lost.
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No artist is ahead of his time. He is his time. It is just that others are behind him.
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No artist is pleased. There is no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others. |
| Job title: |
Additional Crew,Actress,Writer |
| Others works: |
(1954) She performed in the ballet, "Errand Into the Maze", "Ardent Song" and "Deaths and Entrances", in a Martha Graham Dance Company production at the Saville Theatre in London, England with Yuriko, Helen McGehee, Robert Co |
| Spouse: |
Eric Hawkins (September 4, 1948 - 1954) (divorced) |
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