Martha Graham photographed by Yusuf Karsh
USA
Biography
Although the Graham family was religious and considered dancing a sin, she was once allowed to go to a concert by famous dancer Ruth St. Denis. In addition, despite the strictness of their views, Martha's parents were not against her college education. Vassar College, where her parents intended her, was known not only for the quality of education, but also for its sports traditions and suffragist sympathies (suffragism is a movement for women to get the right to vote on an equal basis with men). However, after seeing Ruth Saint-Denis perform, Martha wanted to become a dancer. In the year she was allowed to enroll in the School of Expression in Los Angeles; she then attended the Denishawn School, founded by Saint-Denis herself with her partner, Ted Shawn, in Spain.
During the years of Graham's apprenticeship, dance was seen mainly as entertainment - it was an integral part of vaudeville, costume performances, society balls. Only one type of dance had the status of art - ballet, which in America was considered a European thing. In American dance schools, however, students were trained to participate in shows and cabarets, and were treated accordingly. But Martha wanted to be not a cabaret girl, but a real artist. She proudly recalled later in her memoirs that she was the only one in the school who was exempt from the strict supervision that all other girls were subjected to, on the grounds that "Graham is an art." And subsequently all her men looked up to her as an artist and a genius.
In her era, there were rigid stereotypes of masculine and feminine, about, for example, that men are cerebral and women are emotional; men in the dance express themselves in pushing rectilinear movements, and women - in smooth movements that take place along the trajectories of curves. Graham has stated that she "doesn't want to be a tree or a flower or a wave". In her dances, she abandoned the standard view of femininity and strove to make her characters impersonal, conventionally formal, strong and even masculine. In the body of a dancer, according to Graham, the audience should see a person in general - disciplined, capable of high concentration, strong. Many commentators on her work have noted Graham's connection with feminism. On the dust jacket of one of her biographies is a quote taken from an article in the New York Times: "The most militant and most talented feminist, Martha Graham, freed both woman and dance!" Although she herself believed that she did not take part in the emancipation movement, Graham broke the stereotype with her dance: a woman is a weak creature.
“Dance makes you feel the triumph of life, it nourishes the viewer, connects to a sharp awareness of the power, mystery, humor, diversity, the amazing miracle of life. This is the meaning of the dance."
Martha Graham
Martha Graham is a dancer, teacher and choreographer. She is a cult figure of American modernity and American culture in general.
Martha Graham is one of the few who made the dance world change!
Martha Graham was born on May 11, 1894 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Martha's family was religious. And although dancing was considered a sin, she was still allowed to dance.
One day, Martha was allowed to go to the concert of the famous dancer Ruth Saint-Denis, which changed her life and became an incentive to start choreographic activities. Her parents let her study dance at the Los Angeles School of Expression, where she entered in 1913, and then at the Denishawn School, which Ruth St. Denis herself founded with her partner Ted Shawn.
Working primarily with Ted Shawn, Graham improved her technique and began to dance professionally. Martha left Denishawn in 1923 to join the Greenwich Village Follies, and two years later began her solo career.
In 1926, Martha Graham moved to New York, where she founded her own dance company, the Martha Graham Dance Company. »
which continues to thrive today.
At first, her programs were similar to those of a teacher, but Graham quickly found her own individual style, and began to conduct complex experiments in dance.
Martha Graham believed that movement should be a means of self-expression of the human soul.
Graham said that dance is “the instrument of life itself, the language of the soul. The body keeps the memory of the most important human states, it is in the dance that the essence of a person is revealed.”
It is important to note that Marta was well aware of European culture and the culture of the East. In her choreography, she incorporated traditional folklore movements from Eastern cultures, Greece and Indians. Her dances were filled with passion and emotion.
“Great dancers became great not because of their impeccable technique, but because of their passion,” Graham believed.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were stereotypes in the dance world that a man in dance should express himself in pushing rectilinear movements, and a woman in smooth ones. However, Martha Graham abandoned the standard view of femininity and strove to make her characters "strong".
With her dance, Graham broke the stereotype that "a woman is a weak creature." On the cover of one of her biographies was a quote taken from an article in the New York Times: "The most militant and most talented feminist, Martha Graham, freed both woman and dance!" But it is important to note that Martha did not advocate emancipation, but she never considered herself inferior to men, even those she admired.
Graham's dancing was subject to much criticism. However, today, Graham is considered one of the founders of modern and her achievements in choreography are among the most important in the world of dance culture.
The name of the dancer Martha Graham (Graham) will stand in a place of honor as a free dance genius. She can be called a revolutionary and a destroyer of foundations. The Graham school and its technique became the basis for modern choreography and influenced the development of ballet throughout the world.
The beginning of the dance path
Martha Graham was born on May 11, 1894 in a small American town. Neither the environment, nor the family, nor the time seemed to portend a great future for this girl, but fate decreed otherwise. The Graham family descended from the first settlers in America who came from Scotland. The father of the future dancer was a psychiatrist, her parents professed Presbyterianism and adhered to very conservative views on life. The family was quite wealthy, little Marta was surrounded by a Catholic nanny and servants, Chinese and Japanese worked in the house. Thus, a girl from childhood could get acquainted with different cultures.
But dancing in the family was regarded as something unworthy and sinful. Therefore, Marta first encountered the art of choreography at almost 20 years old. She managed to attend the performance of the famous Ruth Saint-Denis, which turned the girl's world upside down. She makes a categorical decision to enter the School of Expression, and later continues her studies at the famous Denishawn School, which was led by Saint-Denis herself along with the outstanding choreographer Ted Shawn. A few years later, she will join the Denishawn troupe and make her debut in its performances on the big stage.
Dance at the turn of the century
At the turn of the century, there was a strong perception in public opinion that dance was not a serious occupation. He was an element of entertainment shows: vaudeville, cabaret. In the United States, classical ballet at that time did not receive significant distribution; there was no formed national school. There were also many stereotypes about dance. Men were prescribed rational, straightforward jerky movements, while women were supposed to embody the smoothness of lines. Restrictions also applied to the plots of dances, classical, antique plots were preferred. The woman was obliged to realize lyrical roles with a soft plastic pattern.
Dive into the dance
Martha Graham came to choreography late even by the standards of that time - at the age of 20, so classical dance was difficult for her, and she was not interested in it. In the Denishawn troupe, she was required to have lyricism, which was not characteristic of her. Ted Shawn - the recognized father of American dance - saw in Graham a special energy and ability, her charisma and passionate character, and made a production of Xochitl for her. Martha's special style, the "ferocity of the black panther" and her beauty could manifest itself in it. She passionately fell in love with modernity, which turned out to be consonant not only with the era, but also with her views and character. From childhood, Martha heard her father's reasoning that movements can convey the inner, emotional state of a person. It was this idea that led her to create her own technique.
Finding dance ideas and creating a unique style
The search for plastic possibilities was the trend of the time, and Martha Graham was no exception on this path, whose technique became a breakthrough in modern dance. She sought to eliminate gender inequality in dance, to give a woman the right to express strong feelings with the help of sharp, ragged movements. Graham wanted to create a technique that would help dancers become conventionally formal, embodying emotion and idea. She demanded discipline and high concentration from the dancers, at the same time she was able to simplify the classical tradition of plasticity for an easier understanding of the idea by the viewer and gave the dancers more opportunities to convey emotions. Reflection and creativity helped Graham understand that dance is based on three foundations: time, energy and space. Energy is associated with the emotions that movements evoke, this has become the starting point of her technique. Lessons in Martha's class began with a chain of simple movements that weaved into complex compositions. The technique is built on two principles: contraction (compression) and release (lengthening). She forced the dancer to concentrate on the center and obey the anatomical laws of plasticity. The search for self-expression in dance allowed Graham to create a unique technique in which breathing and concentration play an important role. She was able to understand and use the possibilities of the human body for aesthetic purposes. Her technique is still the basis for modern dance and is included in all training programs for professional dancers.
Marta understood that a person perceives the world through images, myths, archetypes, and used this in her productions. Martha Graham suggested putting dances on non-classical subjects. She tried to give the dancers the greatest freedom in expressing feelings. The Martha Graham Troupe In 1926, Martha left the Denishawn Troupe, in which she had no opportunity to realize her ideas. After all, the troupe had its own queen - Saint-Denis, and there was simply no place for Graham. She gathers her troupe in 1927, which was originally purely female, it included the most devoted students. Marta was close to feminist views, she thought a lot about the role of women in society and tried to give her more rights and opportunities. She even devoted several productions to this topic: "Heretic", "Border" and the famous "Lament". In these productions, Graham embodies his ideas and findings, captivating the audience with new plasticity.
In 1938, the first man appears in the troupe - Eric Hawkins, who encourages Martha to modernize her dance technique, she is enriched with classical elements. A little later, Merce Cunningham, who became famous as the destroyer of traditional choreographic canons, joins the troupe. Martha's troupe gained world fame after a tour of Europe and the Middle East. The choreographer also creates a school, which, together with the troupe, receives a permanent location in New York. This group still exists today. And not as a monument to the great Graham, but as a living, creative team. Many of Martha's productions have been preserved in the troupe's repertoire, all of her performances have been recorded for posterity.
Performances and productions
During her creative life, Martha Graham composed 180 performances. Her legacy is striking in its diversity and richness, it is difficult to single out something as the very best in it. But Graham's most notable productions are "Letter to the World", "Cave of the Heart", "Clytemnestra", "Phaedra", "Half-awake, half-asleep", "Acts of Light". Her performances were distinguished not only by excellent choreography, but also by thoughtfulness to the smallest detail. She chose costumes, music, made spatial decisions, and participated in the creation of scenery. Her performances today are a classic guide for dancers and choreographers.
dance partnership
There are many outstanding people in the history of ballet, but there are few who live their lives as a dance. The great dancer of the 20th century, who managed to embody all her passion and her history in dance, is Martha Graham. Photos of the ballerina amaze with strength and expression, she immersed herself in the image to the smallest detail, she thought over the choreography and costumes herself. And I paid a lot of attention to the choice of a dance partner. She happened to work with many great contemporaries (Nureyev, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, Robert Wilson). A special line in her biography is associated with the creation of modern dance, and here the tandem of Jose Limon and Martha Graham is impossible not to remember. These two innovators, the greatest revolutionaries, created something that delights the audience to this day.
Influence on ballet
If there is a person who radically influenced the culture of the 20th century, then this is Martha Graham. Quotes from her statements vividly characterize the dancer and her attitude to the work of her life. She said: "The movement never lies, the body conveys the temperature of the soul." Marta made feeling the main idea of the dance, and this became her main merit. She was also able to develop a plastic language for expressing emotions, which became Martha Graham's unique technique. She is rightfully considered the founder of modern dance in America, and her importance for the creation of a national choreographic school cannot be overestimated.
She not only created a unique troupe, but also staged performances for many theaters, in which the audience could see such magnificent dancers as Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, Maya Plisetskaya, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Natalia Makarova.
personal drama
Martha Graham, whose biography is entirely devoted to ballet, could not fully realize herself as a woman. Her husband was a dance partner, a handsome man - Eric Hawkins. They lived together for 6 years, and the breakup was a big shock for Martha, but she was able to draw from this emotional experience that became a source of inspiration in the dance. She left the stage at the age of 76, experienced severe depression on this occasion, but was able to overcome the illness and return to work as a choreographer, composing 10 more ballets. At some point in her life, Martha became addicted to alcohol, this happened almost immediately after her last performance as a dancer. The woman was so depressed that she even tried to commit suicide. However, soon Graham was still able to give up alcohol and restored her career as a choreographer. She lived a long life and continued to choreograph until the very end. The dancer died of pneumonia on April 1, 1991 at the age of 96.
Martha Graham Troupe
The Martha Graham Troupe gained international fame after touring Europe and the Middle East. The permanent residence of both the troupe and the Graham School was the Martha Graham Contemporary Dance Center in New York. In 1957, the film A Dancer World was filmed, where Graham's main ideas are revealed in a live form and her troupe is beautifully presented. Her book The Notebooks of Martha Graham (1973) sheds light on Graham's source of inspiration as a dancer and choreographer. In 1984, Graham received the Legion of Honor.
Martha Graham Unique Videos
Biography
Although the Graham family were religious and considered dancing a sin, she was once allowed to go to a concert by famous dancer Ruth St. Denis. In addition, despite the strictness of their views, Martha's parents were not against her college education. Vassar College, where her parents intended her, was known not only for the quality of education, but also for its sports traditions and suffragist sympathies. However, after seeing Ruth Saint-Denis perform, Martha wanted to become a dancer. In 1913, she was allowed to enter the Los Angeles School of Expression; she then attended Denishawn School, founded by Saint-Denis herself with a partner, Ted Shawn, in Spain.
During the years of Graham's apprenticeship, dance was seen mainly as entertainment - it was an integral part of vaudeville, costume performances, society balls. Only one type of dance had the status of art - ballet, which in America was considered a European thing. In American dance schools, however, students were trained to participate in shows and cabarets, and were treated accordingly. But Martha wanted to be not a cabaret girl, but a real artist. She proudly recalled later in her memoirs that she was the only one in the school who was exempt from the strict supervision that all other girls were subjected to, on the grounds that "Graham is an art." And subsequently all her men looked up to her as an artist and a genius.
In her era, there were rigid stereotypes of masculine and feminine, about, for example, that men are cerebral and women are emotional; men in the dance express themselves in pushing rectilinear movements, and women - in smooth movements that take place along the trajectories of curves. Graham has stated that she "doesn't want to be a tree or a flower or a wave". In her dances, she abandoned the standard view of femininity and strove to make her characters impersonal, conventionally formal, strong and even masculine. In the body of a dancer, according to Graham, the audience should see a person in general - disciplined, capable of high concentration, strong. Many commentators on her work have noted Graham's connection with feminism. On the dust jacket of one of her biographies is a quote taken from an article in the New York Times: "The most militant and most talented feminist, Martha Graham, freed both woman and dance!" Although she herself believed that she did not take part in the emancipation movement, Graham broke the stereotype with her dance: a woman is a weak creature.
In any encyclopedia of modern ballet, the name of the dancer Martha Graham will take pride of place. She can be called a revolutionary and a destroyer of foundations. The Graham School of Dance and its technique became the basis for modern choreography and influenced the development of ballet throughout the world.
The beginning of the way
Martha Graham was born on May 11, 1894 in a small American town. Neither the environment, nor the family, nor the time seemed to portend a great future for this girl, but fate decreed otherwise. The Graham family descended from the first settlers in America who came from Scotland. The father of the future dancer was a psychiatrist, her parents professed Presbyterianism and adhered to very conservative views on life. The family was quite wealthy, little Marta was surrounded by a Catholic nanny and servants, Chinese and Japanese worked in the house. Thus, a girl from childhood could get acquainted with different cultures.
But dancing in the family was regarded as something unworthy and sinful. Therefore, Marta first encountered the art of choreography at almost 20 years old. She managed to attend the performance of the famous Ruth Saint-Denis, which turned the girl's world upside down. She makes a categorical decision to enter the School of Expression, and later continues her studies at the famous Denishawn School, which was led by Saint-Denis herself along with the outstanding choreographer Ted Shawn. A few years later, she will join the Denishawn troupe and make her debut in its performances on the big stage.
Victorian era dance
At the turn of the century, there was a strong perception in public opinion that dance was not a serious occupation. He was an element of entertainment shows: vaudeville, cabaret. In the United States at that time it did not receive significant distribution, there was no formed national school. There were also many stereotypes about dance. Men were prescribed rational, straightforward jerky movements, while women were supposed to embody the smoothness of lines. Restrictions also applied to the plots of dances, classical, antique plots were preferred. The woman was obliged to realize lyrical roles with a soft plastic pattern.
Understanding the Possibilities
Martha Graham came to choreography late even by the standards of that time - at the age of 20, so it was difficult for her, and he did not interest her. In the Denishawn troupe, she was required to have lyricism, which was not characteristic of her. Ted Shawn - the recognized father of American dance - saw in Graham a special energy and ability, her charisma and passionate character, and made a production of Xochitl for her. Martha's special style, the "ferocity of the black panther" and her beauty could manifest itself in it. She passionately fell in love with modernity, which turned out to be consonant not only with the era, but also with her views and character. From childhood, Martha heard her father's reasoning that movements can convey the inner, emotional state of a person. It was this idea that led her to create her own technique.
Going beyond the possible
The search for plastic opportunities was the trend of the time, and Martha Graham, whose technique became a breakthrough, was no exception. She sought to eliminate gender inequality in dance, to give a woman the right to express strong feelings with the help of sharp, jerky movements. Graham wanted to create a technique that would help dancers become conventionally formal, embodying emotion and idea. She demanded discipline and high concentration from the dancers, at the same time she was able to simplify the classical tradition of plasticity for an easier understanding of the idea by the viewer and gave the dancers more opportunities to convey emotions. Reflection and creativity helped Graham understand that dance is based on three foundations: time, energy and space. Energy is associated with the emotions that movements evoke, this has become the starting point of her technique. Lessons in Martha's class began with a chain of simple movements that weaved into complex compositions. The technique is built on two principles: contraction (compression) and release (lengthening). She forced the dancer to concentrate on the center and obey the anatomical laws of plasticity. The search for self-expression in dance allowed Graham to create a unique technique in which breathing and concentration play an important role. She was able to understand and use the possibilities of the human body for aesthetic purposes. Her technique is still the basis for modern dance and is included in all training programs for professional dancers.
Marta understood that a person perceives the world through images, myths, archetypes, and used this in her productions. Martha Graham suggested putting dances on non-classical subjects. She tried to give the dancers the greatest freedom in expressing feelings.
Martha Graham Troupe
In 1926, Martha left the Denishawn troupe, in which she did not have the opportunity to realize her ideas. After all, the troupe had its own queen - Saint-Denis, and there was simply no place for Graham. She gathers her troupe in 1927, which was originally purely female, it included the most devoted students. Marta was close to feminist views, she thought a lot about the role of women in society and tried to give her more rights and opportunities. She even devoted several productions to this topic: "Heretic", "Border" and the famous "Lament". In these productions, Graham embodies his ideas and findings, captivating the audience with new plasticity.
In 1938, the first man appeared in the troupe - Eric Hawkins, who encouraged Martha to modernize the dance technique, she was enriched with classical elements. A little later, Merce Cunningham, who became famous as the destroyer of traditional choreographic canons, joins the troupe.
Martha's troupe gained world fame after a tour of Europe and the Middle East. The choreographer also creates a school, which, together with the troupe, receives a permanent location in New York. This group still exists today. And not as a monument to the great Graham, but as a living one. Many of Martha's productions have been preserved in the troupe's repertoire, all of her performances have been recorded for posterity.
Main productions
During her creative life, Martha Graham composed 180 performances. Her legacy is striking in its diversity and richness, it is difficult to single out something as the very best in it. But Graham's most notable productions are "Letter to the World", "Cave of the Heart", "Clytemnestra", "Phaedra", "Half-awake, half-asleep", "Acts of Light". Her performances were distinguished not only by excellent choreography, but also by thoughtfulness to the smallest detail. She chose costumes, music, made spatial decisions, and participated in the creation of scenery. Her performances today are a classic guide for dancers and choreographers.
Great Partners
There are many outstanding people in the history of ballet, but there are few who live their lives as a dance. The great dancer of the 20th century, who managed to embody all her passion and her history in dance, is Martha Graham. Photos of the ballerina amaze with strength and expression, she immersed herself in the image to the smallest detail, she thought over the choreography and costumes herself. And I paid a lot of attention to the choice of a dance partner. She happened to work with many great contemporaries (Nureyev, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, Robert Wilson). A special line in her biography is associated with the creation of modern dance, and here the tandem of Jose Limon and Martha Graham is impossible not to remember. These two innovators, the greatest revolutionaries, created something that delights the audience to this day.
Influence on world ballet
If there is a person who radically influenced the culture of the 20th century, then this is Martha Graham. Quotes from her statements vividly characterize the dancer and her attitude to the work of her life. She said: "The movement never lies, the body conveys the temperature of the soul." Marta made feeling the main idea of the dance, and this became her main merit. She was also able to develop a plastic language for expressing emotions, which became Martha Graham's unique technique. She is rightfully considered the founder of modern dance in America, and her importance for the creation of a national choreographic school cannot be overestimated.
She not only created a unique troupe, but also staged performances for many theaters, in which the audience could see such magnificent dancers as Rudolf Nureyev, Margot Fonteyn, Maya Plisetskaya, Natalia Makarova.
Personal life
Martha Graham, whose biography is entirely devoted to ballet, could not fully realize herself as a woman. Her husband was a male partner - Eric Hawkins. They lived together for 6 years, and the breakup was a big shock for Martha, but she was able to draw from this emotional experience that became a source of inspiration in the dance. She left the stage at the age of 76, experienced severe depression on this occasion, but was able to overcome the illness and return to work as a choreographer, composing 10 more ballets. Marta passed away at the age of 96.
