She also tested use of spoken narrative and other theatrical devices. As the first man in what had been an all-female ensemble, Hawkins inspired Graham to explore new choreographic concepts that included Jungian psychology, Greek mythology, and the emotional turmoil of human relationships. During her first summer at Bennington, Graham met dancer Erick Hawkins, who became her lover and later her husband. Some of the important dances from this period include Heretic (1929, music by de Sivry) Lamentation (1930, music by Kodály) Panorama (1935, music by Lloyd) Chronicle (1936, music by Riegger) and American Document (1938, music by Green).ĭuring the 1930s Graham established herself as one of America's most important artistic voices and, in 1938 she began to teach at Bennington College, Vermont where she remained until 1942.

From 1929 until 1938, Graham choreographed twenty-one works for the Group and thirty-six solos for herself. During this period, Graham's choreographies, such as Revolt (1927), Poems of 1917 (1928), and Immigrant (1928) demonstrated the social values that played an important role in American modern dance of that era. By the end of the 1920s, Graham's female ensemble, known as the 'Group,' had expanded to sixteen. Her first independent concert was performed in New York City in April 1926 with three female dancers. She left Denishawn in 1923 and made her Broadway debut in John Murray Anderson's The Greenwich Village Follies. From 1919-1923, Graham performed with the company, attracting critical acclaim.

Denis at their Denishawn School in Los Angeles beginning in 1916 and, within two years Graham was teaching at the School.

Martha Graham was born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania on and commenced her dance studies in 1913. Graham founded a dance company in the 1920s that continues to perform her repertory. Known also for her innovative collaborations, Graham worked with sculptor Isamu Noguchi, who designed over thirty-five sets 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 and music director for Graham from 1926 to 1948. Her work, which spanned more than seven decades, resulted in the development of a movement technique and a body of 180 choreographic works. Martha Graham, a pioneer in the establishment of American modern dance, was one of the principal choreographers of the twentieth century.

Heretic synonym