Martha Graham has been recognized as one of the great artists of the 20th century. Through her unique vocabulary of movement and gesture she expanded the expressive possibilities of dance, virtually reinventing an art form. Numerous volumes have been written about her life, her creative genius and her significance within the world of dance. One of the most interesting of these literary offerings is GrahamÆs own Blood Memory. Surprisingly, she writes very little about dance itself or what, through dance, she intended to express. In addition, Blood Memory is more a series of impressions, philosophical musings and anecdotes presented in roughly chronological order than a standard, objectively factual autobiography. As such, it provides an intimate, valuable and thoroughly delightful glimpse into the mind of a great artist.
Graham story begins where all autobiographies must, in childhood. She was born on May 11 1894, in Allegheny Pennsylvania, a town she describes as ôcompletely bleak, and lacking in life, brightness and any discernible beautyö (Graham 1991, p. 18). Not only was Allegheny culturally drab, GrahamÆs proper introduction to the theater had to wait for a family vacation in Atlantic City and dance concerts were non-existent, it was physically colorless as well. Located just across the river from the industrial city of Pittsburgh, AlleghenyÆs economy was dominated by the coal industry. Coal dust and soot permeated the outdoor air and dirtied all of the houses, trees, plants and people. Freshly washed, white clothing would be quickly blackened by a trip outdoors. GrahamÆs memory of the city was that it always seemed dark, even in daylight.
In spite of the bleak cultural and physical environment in which she spent her childhood, Graham often experienced great delight and fascination. When she was still a toddler, her parents took her to the circus. Slipping away from her parents, she crawled over to on...