Martha Graham (1894-1991)
Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Born near here, dancer, choreographer, and teacher Martha Graham created a modern and unique movement style. In 1927, she founded her School of Contemporary Dance, revolutionizing the art of modern dance with innovative works such as "Frontier" and "Appalachian Spring."
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
Born near this spot in 1894, Martha Graham grew up to shatter the conventions of dance. Rejecting the airy grace of ballet, she built a raw, grounded vocabulary of contraction and release that gave modern dance its own language. Works like "Frontier" and "Appalachian Spring" turned American themes into movement, and the school she founded in 1927 trained generations of dancers.
Why it matters
Graham is widely regarded as one of the defining artists of the twentieth century, and her revolution in movement made modern dance a distinctly American art form.
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Related people
- · Martha Graham
Themes & tags
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