 American choreographer, dancer, and teacher, the major and
most influential figure in American modern dance for more than 50
years. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Graham received her early
training under Ruth St. Denis and
Ted Shawn in
the Denishawn school and company. She gave her first recital in 1926,
after having danced in Broadway productions and having directed the
dance department at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New
York.
- Graham's austere costuming and staging,
with the angularity and severity of her movements, caused some initial
antagonism but won immediate recognition. As her style developed,
she became one of the leading figures in contemporary dance. After
1934 Graham used music, especially composed for her dances, by such
composers as Americans Aaron Copland and
William Schuman,
as well as by her longtime associate and music director Louis Horst.
In her later works her stage settings were executed by notable artists,
particularly American sculptor Isamu Noguchi. Having
created more than 150 works, Graham retired as a dancer in 1970. At
age 90, she choreographed Rite of Spring by Russian-American composer
Igor Stravinsky.
|