Martha Graham

1894 – 1991

Martha Graham was an American modern dancer, teacher, and choreographer whose 70-year career and signature "Graham technique" of contraction and release fundamentally reshaped American dance and influenced generations of choreographers worldwide. She founded the Martha Graham Dance Company in 1926—the oldest dance company in the United States—and the Martha Graham School, where students included Merce Cunningham, Paul Taylor, and Twyla Tharp. She was the first dancer to perform at the White House and to travel as a U.S. cultural ambassador, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1976.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM