Martha Graham was a skilled and influential dancer who touched the lives of many. As an influential figure in someone’s life, one would leave a lasting mark on his or her actions, tendencies and personality. Graham left more than a lasting mark on the lives of Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor; she gave them training to become the dancers and choreographers that they were destined to be. Martha started the idea of innovation and modernization in dance; Cunningham and Taylor continued it. Martha Graham had a lasting impact on the lives and work of these two men; although they both went their own ways and created techniques and dance companies of their own, Graham’s influence on both artists is still clear in their work. Martha Graham was born
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Denis and Ted Shawn. Denishawn taught an eclectic array of dance styles, and set to prepare dancers to be diverse and able to dance whatever possible. Eventually Graham taught at Denishawn and even became known as Ted Shawn’s partner. Ultimately however, Graham left Denishawn altogether, to do a few years performing independently, during this time Graham began to find her own voice, style and technique in dance.
After teaching at a school in Rochester, New York for a little bit, Martha Graham opened up her own dance school and company (Martha Graham, About the Dancer, PBS). When Graham decided to make the leap and go out on her own to perform solo and create her own work outside of the world of Denishawn, she showed great courage, her work reflects her strength and her independent mindset. With her very early original work, she shows a woman- unafraid to speak about what may be controversial or unspoken. One of Graham’s earlier works, “Frontier”, could represent her mind-set during this time of new things on the horizon. Graham had said in her book, Blood Memories, “I had the idea of Frontier in my mind as a frontier …show more content…
Cunningham and Graham worked together in works such as “Appalachian Spring” ("Merce Cunningham (1919-2009): Dancer, Choreographer, and Interdisciplinary Collaborator"). Cunningham learned and danced with Martha Graham and soaked in her teachings and techniques. It was here that Cunningham began to create some of his own first works, with music from the composer John Cage, whom he met in 1937 at the Cornish School of Fine Arts in Seattle ("Merce Cunningham- Biography"). Merce began to pave the way for his own technique and school of thought while at the Martha Graham Dance Company. While Graham defied the rules of ballet, and embraced the breath, the silence, and gravity, she remained in the school of thought that telling stories through dance is what one should do. Although her technique was new and innovative, she would still tell stories, they would often have a message, motive or her voice, still, a narrative nonetheless, that an audience would be able to understand. Cunningham, however, felt that this did not have to be the case. As Cunningham began to find his own voice in the world of dance choreography and technique, he began to come up with his own ideas of what dance should encapsulate at all. Cunningham began to diverge from what he learned and discovered during his time with Graham, “he admired
Denis and Ted Shawn. Denishawn taught an eclectic array of dance styles, and set to prepare dancers to be diverse and able to dance whatever possible. Eventually Graham taught at Denishawn and even became known as Ted Shawn’s partner. Ultimately however, Graham left Denishawn altogether, to do a few years performing independently, during this time Graham began to find her own voice, style and technique in dance.
After teaching at a school in Rochester, New York for a little bit, Martha Graham opened up her own dance school and company (Martha Graham, About the Dancer, PBS). When Graham decided to make the leap and go out on her own to perform solo and create her own work outside of the world of Denishawn, she showed great courage, her work reflects her strength and her independent mindset. With her very early original work, she shows a woman- unafraid to speak about what may be controversial or unspoken. One of Graham’s earlier works, “Frontier”, could represent her mind-set during this time of new things on the horizon. Graham had said in her book, Blood Memories, “I had the idea of Frontier in my mind as a frontier …show more content…
Cunningham and Graham worked together in works such as “Appalachian Spring” ("Merce Cunningham (1919-2009): Dancer, Choreographer, and Interdisciplinary Collaborator"). Cunningham learned and danced with Martha Graham and soaked in her teachings and techniques. It was here that Cunningham began to create some of his own first works, with music from the composer John Cage, whom he met in 1937 at the Cornish School of Fine Arts in Seattle ("Merce Cunningham- Biography"). Merce began to pave the way for his own technique and school of thought while at the Martha Graham Dance Company. While Graham defied the rules of ballet, and embraced the breath, the silence, and gravity, she remained in the school of thought that telling stories through dance is what one should do. Although her technique was new and innovative, she would still tell stories, they would often have a message, motive or her voice, still, a narrative nonetheless, that an audience would be able to understand. Cunningham, however, felt that this did not have to be the case. As Cunningham began to find his own voice in the world of dance choreography and technique, he began to come up with his own ideas of what dance should encapsulate at all. Cunningham began to diverge from what he learned and discovered during his time with Graham, “he admired