Martha Graham -a pioneer, 'The Mother of American Modern Dance'

Where she lived/how she became a dancer

Graham was one of three daughters of a physician who was particularly interested in the bodily expression of human behavior some time in the South, her family settled in 1909 in Santa Barbara California, where she discovered the rhythm of the sea and became acquainted with Asian art not only that but Graham thought the style of her teacher, Ruth St. Denis, wasn't deep enough, and she considered ballet too artificial, too stuck-up, and way too Un-American. which is why Graham took action: Using her body to experiment, she invented her own movement language. Her dances were dramatic expressions of the conflict between the individual and society in an attempt to look at the internal motivations of humanity Graham believed that using dance for that purpose would bring psycho emotional enlightenment.

Fundamental principles in Graham Technique include contraction and release, opposition, shift of weight and spirals. Her approach to dance and theater revolutionized the art form and her innovative physical vocabulary has irrevocably influenced dance worldwide.