Martha Graham re-examined the creative possibilities of movement, gesture, composition and theatrical symbolism to expand the expressive vocabulary of dance. Through her innovative approach, she single-handedly initiated the modern dance movement.
In the 1920s, when Graham began her career as a professional dancer, the classical ballet was the dominant artistic genre. As is the case with any classical form, the ballet was, and continues to be, a highly refined tradition that offers sublime expressions of grace and beauty. Over the 300 or so years of its development, however, it had become a somewhat formulaic medium of artistic expression. As a traditional art form, the acceptable repertoire of movement was well-established. Any innovations could be incorporated only when they were proven to be aesthetically compatible with the tradition.
The ballet evokes the aesthetics of weightlessness and flight. With graceful leaps, the dancer appears to transcend gravity and all things earthly. Although there are only five basic, relatively simple positions that form the basis for all balletic movement, they must be performed with grace and agility if the dancer is to convincingly create the illusion of lofty weightlessness. It has always been a difficult challenge. As such, the standards of performance for the ballet had reached a high level of virtuosity that required many years of training and practice for even a gifted student to master the form. Most students begin their training at the young age of 8 to 12 years old.
Because of the formidable technical demands, the ballet had ceased to be an accessible means of expression for many aspiring dancers. Furthermore, the traditional adherence to a classically defined vocabulary of movement served to impose limitations on the expressive possibilities of dance as a creative art form. While there is no evidence that GrahamÆs innovations were brought about as an intentional...