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Martha, Graham, Modern, dance ,technique
The period from about 1926-1942 is considered to be the golden era of dance in America. It was at this time the foundations of Modern dance were formulated and established and a vibrant canon of dance styles evolved.
I chose this picture because it demonstrate how Martha Graham would share her amazing dance techniques with her students.
Martha Graham is perhaps the most famous of all dancer choreographers.
"The Heroic Age of Modern Dance" Modern Dance in America, February 12, 2012.  http://www.beyondthenotes.org/blog/the-heroic-age-of-modern-dance/

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Martha Graham Modern Dance Influence

I chose Martha Graham for this padlet because she has had the most significant influence, in my opinion, in our society. Modern dance is seen almost everywhere and in almost any dance academy. She is most known for the "contraction and release" of dance. She used social, political, psychological, and sexual ideas for her dances. She integrated so many different aspects to her modern dance.
"Martha Graham." Marthagraham.org. Martha Graham Dance Company, n.d. Web. 07 Nov. 2016. <http://marthagraham.org/about-us/our-history/>.

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Martha Graham, dance, performing, concert

I enjoyed watching this video, as we learned about Martha Graham and her dance technique. In this particular video the dancers seem to dance freely and a more modern type dance. Although, their rehearsal seems modern I also noticed ballet techniques, as i also noticed  so  much emotion.

Martha Graham Dance Company Echo Dress Rehearsal. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Nov. 2016. https://youtu.be/qjAzmq12EEo

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Martha Graham Dance Company - Echo Dress Rehearsal Clips

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See Martha Graham Dance Company perform "Echo," "Appalachian Spring," "Lamentation Variations," and "Errand" on April 18, 2015, at the Valley Performing Arts Center!

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Martha Graham dance influence modern
As an admirer of Indiana University, I was very exited to see that IU was able to obtain a grant to help restage  the "Panorama" of Martha Graham. in 2009 the grant was able to be used for the annual concert on the Contemporary Dance Program. An emphasis was made by the department, explaining that "Panorama" was a call to action for americans to awaken their social consciousness. Modern dance was used as a tool of voice to have an impact during times of fascism.
http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news-archive/12135.html

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Martha Graham technique concert dance

I chose this video because Martha Graham's technique is so unique and widely used. Her movement is so specific in how she uses each muscle in her body. This is shown greatly in modern dance. Even though a lot of movement is done by one dancer, the audience or whomever is watching is so intrigued.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBwu_LFGHZU

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Martha Graham Technique, solo "Lake," Phyllis Gutelius, Dancer & Choreographer

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An excerpt titled "Lake" from a 3 part series , worked after several years with three outstanding Vaganova teachers in NYC; Elena Tchernishova, Sulamith Messerer, and Marina Stavitskaya. The challenge was to move the arms legs head and torso connecting the Graham based deep use of the back with the flow of Vaganova based port de bras and épaulement.

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Martha Graham Modern Dance History

Referred to as "The Mother of Dance" Martha Graham "created a movement language based upon the expressive capacity of the human body." I chose this image because it clearly shows her technique of
sharp, angular, and direct movements. She was one the most influential dancers/artists of modern dance and has inspired so many other to this day. She's an idol.
http://marthagraham.org/about-us/our-history/

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lester horton influence interracial dance

I chose this photo, because it is amazing, to me, that Lester Horton had such and influence on the future of the Alvin Ailey dance company by being the first to have integrated dancers. When modern first arose, civil rights in American was still a complete mess. For someone to stand up and allow black dancers to participate was such an important  step in the right direction.  Alvin Ailey had space to become a leading dance group because of the risk that Lester Horton took to pave the way.

Feliksdal, Benjamin. "Lester Horton 1906-1953." Benjamin Feliksdal: Amsterdamse Danscoach. WordPress, n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016. <http://www.benjaminfeliksdal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/img005.jpg>.

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Indiegogo. Martha Graham Google Image
https://goo.gl/images/OjC9h2

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Martha Graham Modern Dance History

I chose this picture because it shows Martha Graham dancing.  Martha is probably my favorite historic dancer of all time and is my favorite person we learned about in the lectures so far.  Everyone I know in dance looks up to her.  She is one of the most influential dancers in not just modern dance but dance itself.  I look up to her and would really love to know so much more about Martha.

"Great Martha - Russian Ballet." Russian Ballet. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2016. <http://www.balletinsider.com/en/archive/history/760>.

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5 Words: Martha Graham inspiration in dance

I choose this image because I believe Martha Graham deserves much appreciation for her contribution to dance. She is a truly great inspiration to the many aspiring artists in the world. As mentioned in the lecture she is considered the "Mother of Dance". Her passion for dance has been passed down. It is also important to mention her contribution as a woman and an artist has opened many doors to other women.

"Martha Graham." Photograph . Blog Spot, Medea's Blog, 25 Feb. 2016, 1.bp.blogspot.com/-imqOMd_5jlg/USzqZZcFt2I/AAAAAAAAAi8/cGtAq8bdqwI/s320/moderne_martha-graham_april-12.jpg. Accessed 30 Oct. 2016.

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sigmund freud inspiring martha graham

I decided to post a picture of Sigmund Freud. One thing that stuck with me during the lecture was that Freud influenced Martha Graham, and it really interested me. I would like to know how he influenced her. She was an amazing person and was a very inspiring dancer so I would like to know how Freud influenced her dancing career.

Favobooks. (n/a). Sigmund Freud. Google Image. https://goo.gl/images/vHOmdD

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graham modern dance creation technique

I found this photo in an article and I thought it illustrated what I felt a core part of Martha Graham's dancing. To me, the black and white presents an important element and the picture to me demonstrates some forms that are seen today in modern dance techniques with costumes still being similar in some dances found today.

Mapes, Josh. "Martha Graham: The Mother of Modern Dance." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 22 Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.
http://www.biography.com/news/martha-graham-the-mother-of-modern-dance-20774971

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During the time when women were fighting for the right to vote in the United States, Martha Graham began to study dance when she was well into her 20s. Though she was shorter and older than other dancers, she used her body in an athletic and modern way that was against every principle female dancers had been taught. The rest of her life was spent as an advocate for the arts. In celebration of Women's History Month, here are five important aspects about Martha Graham's life, work and influence.

The Technique Over the span of her career, Martha Graham created one of the only fully comprehensive sets of techniques that exist in modern dance. Like ballet, she created her own rules and exercises to train her dancers. The Graham technique is so precise and different than other dance styles that it takes 10 years of training to master.

Graham's language of dance is based on two main principles: contraction and release. Her dancers create tension through contracting a muscle, and then use the flow of energy when the muscle is relaxed to initiate the movement. This creates a very choppy, tight movement. Also, the contracting of the spine and rib cage make the female dancers look more aggressive, like they are ready to attack and push toward the ground. In the 1930s, Graham's physicality as a dancer was shockingly different from smooth and graceful ballerinas. Ballets were arranged to appear effortless, while Graham's muscular movement made the effort visible in the choreography.

The Human Heart in Motion Graham's main goal as a choreographer was to emote an internal feeling through the movement of her body. Aside from her expressive face, she used dance to express how she felt as a woman in both small and large moments of daily life. For example, in her pieces "Deaths and Entrances," which is based on the work of the Bronte sisters, there is a moment when Graham stands tall and stiffly while naturalistically portraying a Victorian woman, then suddenly bends her knees and plunges backward, so her torso is parallel with the floor. When asked what this moment meant, she explained that this is to illustrate how a woman feels when she sees a man she once loved across the room at a party. For centuries, many women felt constricted both physically and emotionally. Graham not only moved in a way that was radical for women at the time, but did it to express her deepest emotions.

Forever Young In her 1953 essay "An Athlete of God," Graham refers to dance as "the performance of living," always aware that her instrument as a dancer is "also the instrument through which life is lived: the human body." The daughter of an "alienist," which at the time described a physician specializing in psychology, her father was interested in how people use their bodies to express how they feel and passed his curiosities along to Graham.

Graham initially studied drama, but became attracted to dance at the age of 22, which is very late for a dancer. With a less-than-ideal body type, she used her differences to her advantage and developed her own pieces for herself. As a result, she often had trouble passing along her choreography to other dancers, as she had built all of her works on her own body. While many dancers retire by the age of 30, Graham's late start didn't slow her down, and she danced professionally until the age of 76.

The American Experience Much of Graham's work focuses on women throughout history, as well as American ideas of industry and the innovation. In one of her works created during the 1930s, "Lamentation," she uses her body to represent a skyscraper. She explored themes such as mythology, the experiences of American Indians, and the American West. Though still focusing on small emotional moments as a dancer, Graham created bold statements on society through the staging and design of her pieces.

Constant Collaboration Called "the Picasso of dance," she came to personify the changing dance of the 20th century. She worked with visual artists, composers, and theater directors on her pieces. In the 1950s, she worked with legendary ballet choreography George Balanchine on "Episodes," a program that combined both ballet and modern dance. Appalachian Spring, Aaron Copland's landmark orchestral score, was commissioned by Graham for her company. Even actors such as Bette Davis and Gregory Peck worked with her to learn principles of movement. Because she worked with other artists from different mediums, Graham's impact on art is immeasurable.

Watch Graham perform a secton of her dance, Lamentation, where she plays a grieving woman:

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Martha Graham: The Mother of Modern Dance

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During the time when women were fighting for the right to vote in the United States, Martha Graham began to study dance when she was well into her 20s. Though she was shorter and older than other dancers, she used her body in an athletic and modern way...

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pioneer modern dance martha graham

I love the image of the simplistic movement yet there is a lot of movement within the body to create the shape. Her subtlety with her hand placement creates an emotional feeling.

Laird, Rosie. "Pioneers of Modern Dance." Dance Assessment Task 4: By Rosie Laird:. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

http://rosielairddanceassessment.blogspot.com/2015/06/pioneers-of-dance.html

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The only sin is mediocrity.

I chose these five words because I really like this quote and was curious what images would pop up. This picture was one of the top results, and I chose it because it shows Martha Graham performing the modern dance she created. I also like her quote, it tells you what kind of women she is. Smart, out-spoken, honest, forward thinking, and ahead of her time.

"MARTHA GRAHAM IN A PRESENTATION OF LAMENTATION." Web 2016.

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5 words:
birth of modern dance in America's Martha graham

What I found was this lovely picture of Doris Humphrey at Bennington College teaching dance to this group of women. If it wasn't for Martha Graham and this school Modern dance may not have blossomed into what it is today. The group of dancers who came together to create dance and teach students in the Summers. The Bennington School of Dance was known as "Dance center of the World". They let the dancers tell their own story which was what made it so great.

Stahl, Jennifer. "Plugged In - Dance Magazine." Dance Magazine. N.p., 1 Oct. 2013. Web. 30 Oct. 2016. @Dance_Magazine

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Martha Graham and Modern Dance

I am still amazed that Martha was able to dance at 60 just as fabulously as when she was younger. When I see older instructors, they are usually unable to be completely fluid in their movements as in the case of the Ballet Russe video from the last Module. Don’t get me wrong, they are still more fluid than I could ever hope to be. Now that I know of Martha, I can definitely see how influential she was/is to modern dance since most of the movements shown in videos are heavily reflective of her own choreography. Martha is the first dancer I learned about in this class whose influence I can recognize even after many generations of dancing influences on modern dance. I chose this video because it demonstrates Martha’s technique and I think the dancers in it move just as well as Martha did.

Narendra Patil. "Lamprini Gkolia - Martha Graham Technique." Youtube.
Youtube, 17 Sept. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

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Lamprini Gkolia - Martha Graham Technique

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Lorena Sebastian
5 words: Modern Dance, Martha Graham Bennington college

As we learned in lecture, Martha Graham was famous and recognized for being one of the greatest artist and influencing modern dance in America. She created a movement language based on the expressive capacity of the human body. She was referred to as the mother of dance. The reason I choose this image is because you can see the passion she has for dance in this image.  Her passion for dance and choreographing was amazing.

http://marthagraham.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/HRD010history.jpg

“Martha Graham Dance Company”. Web 2012

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This dance video is a tribute to Charles Weidman. This video shows the dance moves inspired by Charles Weidman who was a very famous dancer who performed fall and recovery type dance. He was a fabulous dancer and this is relevant to what we are learning because Charles weidman was a monumental figure during this era while this type of dance prospered.

Dancenotationbureau. "DNB -- Opening Dance from "Opus 51" (1938) by Charles Weidman." YouTube. YouTube, 10 Apr. 2015. Web. 30 Oct. 2016.

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DNB -- Opening Dance from "Opus 51" (1938) by Charles Weidman

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Doris Humphrey, Denishawn, fall and recovery.

I found Doris Humphrey to be a very intriguing key player in dance history, while listening to the lecture. Martha Graham, which was considered the "Mother of Dance" is important too, but I found it interesting that Humphrey had a dance background in ballet. The image I found, shows Humphrey in a position which looks to me as a mix of ballet and modern contemporary dance. The manner in which her arms are displayed, reminds me of ballerina poses. But then her body is twisted and facing the ground, presenting a "sculptural shape"; which represents the new art form that she and many other dancers began creating during the twentieth century. I personally think this image is the epitome of an era where creativity, art, dance, as well as the world, were evolving and shaping into something new and exciting.

"Dance Appreciation Assignment." Maddy Prelim Dance. N.p., 2014. Web. 29 Oct. 2016.

http://maddyprelimdance.yolasite.com

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5 words: Martha Graham, Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, Bennington College, Louis Horst, modern dance

Graham believed that great dancers were great because of their passion, not because of their technique. I choose this image of Graham and her dancers because I felt like it depicts how passionate she was to perform even at a late age. Graham had a long and illustrious career, and her groundbreaking techniques continue to inspire generations.
"History: Martha Graham." «. N.p., 2012. Web. 29 Oct. 2016. <http://marthagraham.org/about-us/our-history/>.

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Martha Graham Dance Appalachian Spring

I decided to pick this as my discussion because I just was so amazed to learn that Martha Graham continued to perform her skits at such a later age of 60 years and still present it so beautifully. on the rhythmic moves and how elegant yet rigorous the dance performance was. The clip I listed below is the same performance that Martha had done, just a newer version performed by her students from her dance school.

Magic of SPAC, SPACny. "Appalachian Spring - Martha Graham Dance Company." YouTube. YouTube, 15 Jan. 2014. Web. 28 Oct. 2016.

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Appalachian Spring - Martha Graham Dance Company

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Bennington college dance program today

I found this video of a recent performance at Bennington college really interesting because I can see a lot of influences of modern dance in the dancer's technique and choreography, particularly her awareness and use of her pelvis as an initiator of movement and center of gravity.

Herzfeld, Charles. “Meghan Herzfeld's Dance Performance at Bennington College.” YouTube, YouTube, 19 May 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwaljmjenm4.

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Meghan Herzfeld's Dance Performance at Bennington College

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Meghan's performance recorded on Saturday, May 17th, 2014 at Bennington College.

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5 words: Martha Graham Bennington College Dance

I chose this photo because it's a photo of Martha Graham and some of her students at Bennington College. It was a school for young girls who were wanting to dance and to be educated in dance. Graham wanted to teach her modern style of dance and she was happy to be a part of the school where she taught along the sides of her fellow dancers.

"100 Treasures - Bennington School of the Dance." 100 Treasures - Bennington School of the Dance. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Oct. 2016.

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Martha Graham and Modern Dance History

I found this video that really shows Martha Graham as an inspiration to Modern Dance. This video explains the transition from ballet to modern dance and how they are similar in ways. The video also goes into more history about Martha Graham and shows small clips of some of her famous work and techniques.

Heather Maedl. "Martha Graham: A Revolutionary in Modern Dance." Youtube. Youtube, 22 April 2013. Web. 24 Oct. 2016.

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Martha Graham: A Revolutionary in Modern Dance