Martha Graham Movement Never Lies

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“The body says what the words cannot” this was a quote often said by Martha Graham. She firmly believed that human emotions should be displayed through dance. Graham was heavily influenced by her farther who often stated, “Movement never lies”. Throughout her dances her goal was to create an emotional connection among the audiences. She anticipated that although her audience might not understand the overall message in her dance, they could at least feel/see its essence.
Graham used her torso all throughout her dances in order to express herself. She initiated that the movement of the torso must demonstrate strength and must be the focal point. An example, would be in Graham’s dance performance, Appalachian Spring performance, there is a …show more content…

It was a new experience for me, something I have never seen before. I liked how she made her performances personal. I also loved how she would just loose herself during her performance. It was as if she was dancing with her mind and heart. Although, I never heard of this type of philosophy, I can fairly say I agree with it. Graham thought that movement was spawned from three places: the pelvis, contraction and release, and human emotions. She also felt that everything involved space and gravity. Her theory between space and gravity was that the fall is the power of gravity. Therefore, she encouraged her students to fall to the left, because falling was not just a physical thing but it was a mental one. She explained that falling was a way to explore the unknown.
Of course her movement and philosophy is relevant in today’s society. According to Lihs, “Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance, won a court decision that allowed it to continue to teach her unique technique” (pg.67). As we know people still admire her work and want to learn her techniques. Throughout her dance journey she has inspired many dancers and music artists. An example, would be a dancer named Maddy Zieglar which she has adopted Graham’s dancing style. In conclusion, I think Graham’s movement/philosophy is still important in our

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