Martha Graham, 1894-1991: The mother of modern dance

In the beginning of the twentieth century, women like Isadora Duncan and Ruth Saint Denis wanted to create a new form of dance. Duncan and Saint Denis felt restricted by ballet. Modern dance was created as a revolt against ballet.

Martha Graham was one of the most famous dancers and creators of dance, called choreographers. She brought modern dance to a new level of popularity in American culture. She created a new language of movement that expressed powerful emotions.

She started traditions that are still used in modern dance today. They include expressive movements of the body to...

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Ms. Graham showed the world how the body can  be a powerful communication tool.