Fiction Adaptation: Researching Martha Graham - Expressive dancer with fabric


Martha Graham

  • Considered by many to be the 20th century's most important dancer and the mother of modern dance.
  • he was influenced by her father, a doctor who used physical movement to remedy nervous disorders.
  •  In 1926, she established her own dance company in New York City 
  • Developed an innovative, non-traditional technique of movement and emotional expression.
  • She danced well into her 70s and choreographed until her death in 1991


Since my video was about expressionate movement and the manipulation of fabric, I came across Martha Graham who was most famous for her innovative dancing which she often used fabric to heighten her dancing so I thought it would be a good ida to broaden my mind to how creative I could be with my dancers. Below are examples of her work; 









I love the shapes that is created with her movements and fabric and I think this is something that I would like to show the dancers to see what they think and if they could incorporate some of this. What also opened my eyes was the idea that she is within the fabric, instead of the fabric around her like my original idea. The first two images are powerful because it is possible that one of my dancers could be displayed in this manner is I think it could express the notion of being "trapped" even more than I originally thought. The only thing is I would have to get a certain type of stretchy fabric to have similar shadows and effects. This is something that I would like to take on board and incorporate within my own piece. 

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