Title Page | Collection Summary | Biographical/Organizational Note | Scope and Content | Arrangement
Biographical Note
Martha Graham, a pioneer in the establishment of American modern dance, was one of the principal choreographers of the twentieth century. Her work, which spanned more than seven decades, resulted in the development of a movement technique and a body of 180 choreographic works. Known also for her innovative collaborations, Graham worked with sculptor Isamu Noguchi, who created over thirty-five designs for Graham works; lighting designer Jean Rosenthal; costume designer Halston; and many composers, including Aaron Copland, Samuel Barber, Robert Starer, William Schuman, and Louis Horst, who acted as accompanist, composer, and music director for Graham from 1926 to 1948. Graham founded a dance company in the 1920s that continues to perform her repertory (www.marthagraham.org).
The following timeline makes reference to only a few of Graham’s choreographic works. For a complete repertory list, please consult Don McDonagh’s book, Martha Graham (1973).
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 1894, May 11 | Born, Allegheny, Pennsylvania |
| 1916 | Began studies with Ted Shawn and Ruth St. Denis at their Denishawn School |
| 1918 | Began teaching at the Denishawn School |
| 1919-1923 | Danced with Denishawn, appearing in title roles such as Xochitl |
| 1923-1925 | Appeared in John Murray Anderson’s Greenwich Village Follies, dancing Ted Shawn’s Serenata Morisca and Michio Ito’s The Garden of Kama |
| 1925 | Established her first dance company and began to develop her specialized dance technique |
| 1926 | Presented her first independent concert at the 48th Street Theater in New York City, assisted by the Martha Graham Concert Group. The New York Herald Tribune noted, “Miss Graham gave a successful performance, showing ability to present a mood or a picture, with the assets of grace, agility, effective poses and well chosen costumes” |
| 1927 | In a review of a program at New York City’s Little Theatre, the New York American said “Slender, sinuous and supple, and ever with a definite command of grace, Miss Graham may have many competitors in Terpsichore’s guild, but few rivals” |
| 1928 | Began an association with the Neighborhood Playhouse and, in conjunction with the Cleveland Orchestra, she performed in Nuages and Fetes (music by Debussy) with dancer/choreographer Michio Ito |
| 1929 | Presented a concert which included her first group masterpiece, Heretic |
| 1930 | Began a seven-year relationship with Washington Irving High School in New York City and presented yearly concerts. She performed in Léonide Massine’s Rite of Spring with the Philadelphia Orchestra |
| 1932 | First dancer to receive a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship |
| 1936 | Toured the United States in a solo program. Was invited, but rejected, an offer to represent the U.S. at the International Dance Festival, held in conjunction with the Berlin Olympics. She stated: “so many artists have been persecuted that I refuse to identify myself with the regime that made it possible” |
| 1937 | At the invitation of President and Mrs. Roosevelt, Graham was the first dancer to appear at the White House. Graham and her company made their first transcontinental tour |
| 1938-1941 | Began a relationship with Bennington College in Vermont where she taught each summer. Erick Hawkins became the first man to join her dance company. Merce Cunningham joined in 1939 |
| 1944 | Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge commissioned three works: Imagined Wing (music by Darius Milhaud), Hérodiade (music by Paul Hindemith), and Appalachian Spring (music by Aaron Copland). The works are premiered in the Library of Congress Coolidge Auditorium. Writing about Appalachian Spring for the New York Times, critic John Martin stated, “nothing Miss Graham has done before has had such deep joyousness about it” |
| 1948 | Married dancer/choreographer Erick Hawkins (divorced 1954) |
| 1950 | Louisville Symphony Orchestra commissioned Graham to choreograph a new work (Judith to music by William Schuman). The Columbus [Ohio] Dispatch declared the work to be “a dance of smashing impact” |
| 1951 | Graham’s second commission by the Louisville Symphony Orchestra resulted in The Triumph of St. Joan (music by Norman Dello Joio) |
| 1954 | Graham company toured Europe, sponsored by the U.S. State Department |
| 1955 | Graham company toured Asia, sponsored by the U.S. State Department |
| 1957 | Received a Dance Magazine Award |
| 1960 | Recipient of a Capezio Award |
| 1965 | Received an Aspen Award in Humanities |
| 1966 | Received honorary doctorate from Harvard |
| 1968 | Graham choreographed last new dance in which she appeared (The Lady of the House of Sleep with music by Robert Starer). The Washington Post reported that it is “one of the most tangled and troubled of Graham dances” |
| 1969, Apr. 20 | Danced for the last time and retired from the stage |
| 1971 | Received honorary doctorates from Yale and Wesleyan |
| 1976 | President Gerald Ford presented the Medal of Freedom to Graham |
| 1978 | Choreographed Frescoes (music by Samuel Barber) for the dedication ceremonies of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Sackler Wing |
| 1979 | Received a Kennedy Center Honors Award, Washington, DC and the Royal Medal of Jordan |
| 1981 | Received the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award |
| 1982 | Accepted the Algur H. Meadows Award for Excellence in the Arts, from Southern Methodist University |
| 1984 | Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur presented to Graham by President François Mitterand |
| 1985 | Received National Medal of Arts awarded by President Ronald Reagan and the Carina Ari Medal, presented by Princess Christina of Sweden |
| 1991, Apr. 1 | Died, New York City |