Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American dancer
choreographer regarded as one of the foremost pioneers of
modern dance, whose influence on dance can be compared to the influence
Stravinsky had on music,
Picasso had on the visual arts, or
Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture.
[1] Graham was a galvanizing performer, a choreographer of astounding moves. She invented a new language of movement, and used it to reveal the passion, the rage and the ecstasy common to human experience. She danced and choreographed for over seventy years, and during that time was the first dancer ever to perform at The
White House, the first dancer ever to travel abroad as a cultural ambassador, and the first dancer ever to receive the highest civilian award of the USA: the
Medal of Freedom. In her lifetime she received honors ranging from the
Key to the City of Paris to Japan's Imperial
Order of the Precious Crown. She said, "I have spent all my life with dance and being a dancer. It's permitting life to use you in a very intense way. Sometimes it is not pleasant. Sometimes it is fearful. But nevertheless it is inevitable." (Source: Wikipedia)
Martha Graham and the Martha Graham Dance Company, New York, May 7, 1961
