Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer, whose style, the Graham technique, reshaped American dance and is still taught worldwide.
Graham in 1948
Graham's Heretic by Soichi Sunami
Graham, c. 1940
Martha Graham with Bertram Ross (1961)
Graham technique is a modern dance movement style and pedagogy created by American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham (1894–1991). Graham technique has been called the "cornerstone" of American modern dance, and has been taught worldwide. It is widely regarded as the first codified modern dance technique, and strongly influenced the later techniques of Merce Cunningham, Lester Horton, and Paul Taylor.
The Martha Graham Dance Company in performance. The central woman's pose shows the characteristic tension and theatricality of Graham technique.