Martha Graham and her Techniques were Universal through Dance

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Martha Graham has had a large impact on modern dance throughout the years and even after her death. She took the conventional dances of her time and revolutionized them. Martha Graham and her techniques have greatly affected modern dance by introducing new and innovative concepts. As Alma Guillermoprieto figured out, Graham was “the first creator of modern dance to devise a truly universal dance technique out of the movements she developed in her choreography” (qtd. in Terry). This statement shows that Martha Graham and her techniques’ affects were universal through dance.
To start, a technique that Martha Graham created that is the main center point of all her techniques is to focus on breathing. She questioned a lot about what happened in her body as she breathed, and then noticed that there are many different ways that the body can breathe (Kessel 29). According to Kessel "Martha believed that by connecting breath and movement, her dancing could become more meaningful and expressive" (30). Kessel’s point is that Martha Graham’s technique to focus on breathing was so important because she believed that it could make her dancing more emotional, which is one of her main reasons for creating her techniques.
Another technique of Martha Graham’s most basic and widely used technique, is her use of contraction and release. Contraction is when the dancer inhales and release is where the dancer exhales. Kessel sates “During exhalation, the deep muscles of the torso contract, forcing the air out of the lungs. During inhalation, the same muscles release as fresh air rushes back in" (30). Basically Kessel talks about the scientific view of contraction and release, which are considered intensified movements of inhalation and exhalation. ...

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...ess. Web. 08 May 2014.
"Graham, Martha." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia. New York: Columbia University Press, 2013. Student Edition. Web. 8 May 2014.
Kessel, Kristin. Martha Graham. New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2006. Print.
Kisselgoff, Anna. "Martha Graham Dies at 96; A Revolutionary in Dance." The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 Apr. 1991. Web. 15 May 2014.
Marcel, Emily. "Terese Capucilli: Plunging Deep into Graham Technique." Dance Magazine 1 July 2009: 52-53. Student Edition. Web. 6 May 2014. .
"Martha Graham About the Dancer." American Masters. PBS. 16 Sept. 2005. PBS. Web. 08 May 2014.
Terry, Walter. "Martha Graham (American Dancer)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 May 2006. Web. 14 May 2014.

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