Martha Graham

Exploring Movement: The Innovator of Modern Dance

National History Day 2016
Annotated Bibliography
Acocella, Joan. "An Unforgettable Photo of Martha Graham." Smithsonian.com. Ed. Smithsonian
Institution. Smithsonian Institution, n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/an-unforgettable-photo-of-marthagraham-159709338/?no-ist>. This article is a secondary source that examines the
photograph of Martha Graham dancing. The article says that it is one of the most famous
dance pictures in America. It is from Smithsonian.com, so I trust it to be factual. I had
seen that photograph come up before, but I didn't realize how iconic it was until I read
this article. I think I will use this photograph somewhere in my website, but I don't know
where yet.
Biography.com editors. "Martha Graham Biography." Biography.com. Ed. Biography.com
editors. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 8 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.biography.com/people/martha-graham-9317723>. This secondary source
described a general overview of Graham's life. It focused more on her early career than
on her later years, but it helped me get an idea of what inspired her. I learned that her
father, Dr. George Graham, was a doctor that used physical movement to cure nervous
diseases which interested Graham from a young age. Seeing Ruth St. Denis dance
inspired Graham to want to dance, and she eventually attended St. Denis' junior college
for dance. This source made me want to research more about Ruth St. Denis and the
Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts.
BrainyQuotes. "Martha Graham Quotes." BrainyQuotes. BrainyQuotes.com, n.d. Web. 23 Nov.
2015. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/martha_graham.html>. This
website is a secondary source because it uses other sources to collect Martha Graham
quotes. I want to use quotes from this page throughout my website, because she said
many inspirational things. One of my favorite quotes was, "Great dancers are not great
because of their technique, they are great because of their passion." I've heard this quote
before, but I think it is beautiful. I am not sure exactly where I will put that quote yet, but
I will definitely put it somewhere on my website.
BrainyQuotes. "Ted Shawn Quotes." BrainyQuotes. BrainyQuotes.com, n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/t/ted_shawn.html>. This website is a
secondary source because it uses other sources to collect quotes from various people, like
Ted Shawn. Only three quotes were available for Ted Shawn, but all three were profound.

I especially like, "Dance is the only art of which we ourselves are the stuff of which it is
made." I will put this on the "Early Career" page of my website, when I am talking about
Martha Graham's performance of Ted Shawn's choreography.
Duarte, Nancy. "Martha Graham Showed the World How She Felt." Duarte. Duarte, 11 May
2011. Web. 22 Oct. 2015. <http://www.duarte.com/blog/martha-graham-showed-theworld-how-she-felt/>. This blog is a secondary source because it relies on other sources
for information. It is an excerpt from Nancy Duarte's book, but she says that everything is
cited in the text. It's a more artful telling of Martha Graham's story, though the
information isn't as prominent as some of my more academic sources. I think that this
blog will be useful for strongly worded quotes and inspiration for powerful writing on my
website.
"Errand Into the Maze (Ballet Choreographed by Martha Graham) [Article]." Library of
Congress: Performing Arts Encyclopedia. Ed. The Library of Congress. The Library of
Congress, 10 Dec. 2014. Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
<http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200182843/default.html>. This
secondary source is an article with a photo of Martha Graham's performance, "Errand
Into the Maze." I learned that this show was first performed in 1947 and that Isamu
Noguchi created the sets. This is a good connection because I was just learning about
Noguchi's set designs for Graham. I will use this source on my website mostly just for the
information about the premier of "Errand Into the Maze."
GoodReads. "Isamu Noguchi Quotes." GoodReads. GoodReads Inc., n.d. Web. 23 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/428712.Isamu_Noguchi>. This website is a
secondary source, and has the quote from Isamu Noguchi, "We are a landscape of all we
have seen." I want to use this quote on the Early Career section of my website when I am
talking about how Isamu Noguchi worked with Martha Graham in making sculptures for
her stages.
Kisselgoff, Anna. "Martha Graham Dies at 96; A Revolutionary in Dance." Editorial. New York
Times On The Web: On This Day. Ed. New York Times. New York Times, 2 Apr. 1991.
Web. 25 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.nytimes.com/learning/general/onthisday/bday/0511.html>. This primary
source is from the New York Times website. It is the obituary that was printed on April 2,
1991- the day after Graham passed away. It is extensive, and chronicles her life,
achievements, and impact as one cohesive story. I will use quotes from this obituary in
my website to emphasize Graham's immediate and long term legacies, and how she is
globally renowned for her exploration. I didn't realize that she had such extensive
encounters with international personalities, but I learned from this obituary that Martha
Graham was awarded the highest medal for contributions to the arts and sciences in

Denmark, and the French Prime Minister of culture personally decorated her with the
Legion of Honor in 1984.
Kurigama, Kazumi. "Isamu Noguchi, 1988." Japan Times. Japan Times, 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 21
Nov. 2015. <http://jto.s3.amazonaws.com/wpcontent/uploads/2013/11/fa20131114a2a.jpg>. This portrait of Isamu Noguchi, a sculptor
who designed sets for Graham's works, is a primary source from 1988. I will put it on the
"Early Career" part of my website, because that's when I will talk about how Graham
collaborated with other artists to expand her use of the stage. This portrait is black and
white and emphasizes Noguchi's eyes.
Library of Congress, Music Division. "American Document (Ballet Choreographed by Martha
Graham)." Library of Congress. Ed. Library of Congress. Library of Congress, n.d. Web.
11 Oct. 2015. <https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200182818/>. This secondary source is
about Graham's ballet, American Document, and the people involved in it. American
Document premiered on August 6, 1938. Erick Hawkins made his debut in American
Document and was the first male dancer in Graham's ensemble. Marcia Minor
interviewed Martha Graham for New York's Daily Worker and Graham said, "I want the
audience to feel no obscurity or doubt at any time about what is happening on the stage.
This dance is supposed to bring back to its full meaning what has largely become
meaningless in America through familiarity. I refer to such a word as democracy that
reminds us of rights we have but may not avail ourselves of. As the line goes in the script
of the dance, 'We forget too much.'" I think this is an interesting comment, and I will
search for the actual article for further information.
Library of Congress: Performing Arts Encyclopedia. "Martha Graham Timeline." The Library of
Congress. Ed. Library of Congress: Performing Arts Encyclopedia Editors. Library of
Congress, 28 May 2008. Web. 29 Nov. 2015.
<http://memory.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200154832/default.html>. This
timeline is a secondary source because it was produced after Martha Graham's death. It is
a timeline of her achievements from her birth until 1949, where it stops. Unfortunately,
1950 to her death in 1991 is not on the Library of Congress timeline yet. This page links
to programs from her shows, pictures of her performances, and even letters written
between her husband and another person. This is a useful source because it lists her major
shows chronologically, which will be beneficial to the "Professional Success" page of my
website. I intend to use information and the pictures from this timeline throughout my
website, but especially to show the volume of performances that Graham managed to
give throughout her life.
"Martha Graham". Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica Online. Encyclopdia
Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 06 Oct. 2015.

<http://www.britannica.com/biography/Martha-Graham>. This Encyclopedia Britannica

entry about Martha Graham is a tertiary source because it relies on information from an
assortment of primary and secondary sources. Because this is the first source I am citing
for my project, and I have extremely little prior knowledge about Graham, this helped me
form a general concept of who she was and what she accomplished. The entry mentions
that she "created more than 180 works... in most of which she herself danced." I thought
this was interesting because in my experience most choreographers do not dance in their
own group works, especially as they grow older. The article focused on her pioneering
role in modern dance, which fits the theme of exploration perfectly. It also mentioned that
her choreography was intended to "evoke a visceral response" from the viewers which is
part of both exchange and encounter. I trust the information from the Encyclopedia
Britannica because it is an old source of well-edited information.
"Martha Graham and Robert Gorham in Xochitl, 1920." Le Clown Lyrique. WordPress, 11 Feb.
2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2015. <https://leclownlyrique.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/marthagraham/>. This photograph is a primary source from 1920, and it shows Martha Graham
and her dance partner, Robert Gorham, dancing in the ballet, Xochitl. They are in
elaborate costumes, and it's dramatically lit. I want to use this photograph on the Early
Career section of my website when I am talking about Martha Graham's rise to fame.
"Martha Graham Biography." Encyclopedia of World: Biography. Advameg, n.d. Web. 8 Oct.
2015. <http://www.notablebiographies.com/Gi-He/Graham-Martha.html>. This
biography of Martha Graham was a secondary source because it was an overview of her
life with facts from other sources. I found this biography interesting because it mentioned
another school that hadn't been talked about in other sources- the Cumnock School. I
would like to do more research about Louis Horst, Graham's performance for President
Roosevelt in 1937, and how she was one of the first choreographers to integrate her
company.
Martha Graham Dance Company. "Current Projects." Martha Graham Dance Company. Ed.
Martha Graham Dance Company. Martha Graham Dance Company, 2012. Web. 11 Oct.
2015. <http://marthagraham.org/the-martha-graham-dance-company/current-projects/>.
This is a primary source because it is the current website for the Martha Graham Dance
Company, which is still performing. The most interesting part of the Current Projects
page was the Political Dance Project, which is about "social activism" and is tied to
Graham's American Document from 1938. "Using filmed excerpts, written descriptions
and Grahams handwritten notes, [director] Bogart and playwright Charles L. Mee have
reinvented American Document for the 21st century by incorporating text from a variety
of sources including Walt Whitmans poetry and blogs from American soldiers stationed
in Iraq. The work, which includes speaking and dancing by all the performers, probes the
same question as Grahams original: What is an American?"

I want to research "Dance is a Weapon" further because it sounds interesting and is

apparently a "multimedia montage that highlights the 1930s, when the nascent art form of
American modern dance was fueled by political and social activism...." It only uses work
from female choreographers of the 1930s, including Martha Graham.
Martha Graham in Indian episode from American Document. 7 Oct. 1938. Selections from the
Martha Graham Collection. Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Library of Congress.
Web. 9 Oct. 2015. <https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200182818/>. This photograph is a
primary source that I found on the Library of Congress website. It shows a younger
Martha Graham in a costume from the Indian episode of American Document, a
performance that Graham choreographed. I used the Library of Congress website to find
this photograph and I will continue researching using this database because it is well
cited, accurate, and trustworthy. I will try to work this photograph into my website,
potentially in something about her as a young choreographer and dancer.
The Missouri Herald. (Hayti, Mo.), 17 Nov. 1922. Chronicling America: Historic American
Newspapers. Lib. of Congress.
<http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89066652/1922-11-17/ed-1/seq-4/> This
newspaper from 1922 has an article called "Ruth St. Denis at Cape November 27Famous Company of Dancers are Sensation of the Season." The article is a primary
source because it's from the time that Graham was performing. It says that "nine
Denishawn dancers headed by Martha Graham" will be performing the "dances of the
Orient and the Occident, the classic dances of the age, all in the most gorgeous costumes
amid the most beautiful settings that money and artistic minds could provide." It
concludes by saying, "[no] wonder the St. Denis organization is attracting record crowds
in the largest cities and getting enthusiastic endorsement from the critics." I will use these
quotes, or possibly the image of the actual newspaper, to show how the media reported
on Graham's early career.
Morgan, Barbara. "Martha Graham: American Document (Trio: Maslow, Flier, and Mazia)."
Museum of Contemporary Photography. Museum of Contemporary Photography at
Columbia College Chicago, 2015. Web. 31 Oct. 2015. <http://www.mocp.org/detail.php?
t=objects&type=all&f=&s=barbara+morgan&record=25>. This photograph by Barbara
Morgan, a renowned dance photographer, is a primary source because it was taken in
1938 and printed in 1980. It is on the Museum of Contemporary Photography's website,
so I trust the information about its dates to be true. The photograph itself shows three
women leaping away from each other and reaching out with their left arms. They are
wearing light colored dresses and they all have long, dark hair. I hope to put this
photograph into my website somewhere, maybe when I am talking about Graham's many
choreographies- like American Document.

Morgan, Barbara. "Martha Graham: Lamentation." Museum of Contemporary Photography.

Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago, 2015. Web. 31
Oct. 2015. <http://www.mocp.org/detail.php?type=related&kv=3069&t=objects>. This
photograph of Martha Graham performing her piece, "Lamentation," was taken in 1935
and printed in 1980. It is on the Museum of Contemporary Photography's website, which
is a trustworthy source. In the black and white photograph, Martha Graham is in a
hooded, loose costume that only leaves her bare feet, hands, and face visible. She is
sitting and pulling the costume and her arms towards the right corner, while looking up at
the left corner. The tension and movement are captured perfectly in the photograph, and
show her embodiment of grief.
Morgan, Barbara. "Martha Graham: Letter to the World." Museum of Contemporary
Photography. Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago,
2015. Web. 31 Oct. 2015. <http://www.mocp.org/detail.php?
t=objects&type=browse&f=maker&s=Morgan%2C+Barbara&record=28>. This black
and white photograph of Martha Graham performing her choreography, "Letter to the
World," about Emily Dickenson. It is a primary source because it was taken in 1940.
Barbara Morgan, the photographer, took many photographs of Martha Graham and other
dance pioneers at the time, like Doris Humphrey and Jose Limon. This photograph is one
of the best known photographs of the time, especially of dancers. It shows Martha
Graham in a white dress, kicking the dress behind her in an arc with one hand to her
head.
Peggy Lyman Hayes, circa 1973. Dance Informa. Dance Informa, 27 Sept. 2013. Web. 21 Nov.
2015. <http://danceinforma.us/dance-news/index/23/>. This photograph is a primary
source that shows Peggy Lyman Hayes, a star in the Martha Graham Dance Company
from 1973 to 1988, dancing. I want to use this photograph when I am talking about the
technique of contraction and release, because she is using the Martha Graham technique
in this photo. In this photo, she is wearing a white leotard and skirt.
"Ruth St. Denis". Encyclopdia Britannica. Encyclopdia Britannica Online. Encyclopdia
Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2015 <http://www.britannica.com/biography/RuthSt-Denis>. This encyclopedia entry is a tertiary source because it uses a wide variety of
research to sum up Ruth St. Denis. I am using this article to get a general idea about who
she is, because she inspired Martha Graham. I would like to use parts of this article in the
Childhood section of my website, and possibly in the Early Career section as well. It's
interesting because her school was one of the very first dance schools that
"organized...dance experiment and instruction in [America]," and she focused on
religious expression.

"Ruth St. Denis, Radha." Buikdansschool Raniya. N.p., 3 Aug. 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.
<http://buikdanshaarlem.nl/over-buikdans/ruth-st-denis-radha/>. This photograph of Ruth
St. Denis shows her playing the part of Radha in 1908. It is a primary source, and I want
to put it on the Childhood page of my website when I talk about how Ruth St. Denis
inspired Martha Graham to dance. I like this photograph because it shows St. Denis with
an elaborate dress, barefoot, and holding a bowl on her head as she spins and her skirt
swirls.
Sickels, Robert C., ed. Volume 1: A-L. Santa Barbara: Greenwood, 2013. Vol. 1 of 100
Entertainters Who Changed America: An Encyclopedia of Pop Culture Luminaries. 2
vols. Google Books. Web. 15 Oct. 2015. <https://books.google.com/books?
id=kXCjAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA220&lpg=PA220&dq=martha+graham+incorporated+whi
ch+cultures+into+her+dance&source=bl&ots=bTUMt9Ydr4&sig=sbLD3uFoh7VLhuUJl
Ocn4d_2_0&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CD4Q6AEwBWoVChMI_rmXzrPFyAIVEaSICh3_sAZ3
#v=onepage&q=martha%20graham%20incorporated%20which%20cultures%20into
%20her%20dance&f=false>. This book is a secondary source that cites other works
within its text. It is written in a style that promotes Graham as an innovator and pioneer,
which helps me connect to the theme. I particularly liked how it talked about exactly
what she changed with set design, costuming, and physical movement to create a new
style of dance. Because it is in Google books, I had to transcribe the sections I like from
the text itself. However, the effort was worth it because it is full of good information and
describes Graham as an explorer in her field.
"Ted Shawn in Malaguena with Martha Graham 1921." Le Clown Lyrique. WordPress, 11 Feb.
2009. Web. 23 Nov. 2015. <https://leclownlyrique.wordpress.com/2009/02/19/marthagraham/>. This photograph is a primary source from 1921, and it shows Martha Graham
and her choreographer and dance partner, Ted Shawn, dancing in the Malaguena. Ted
Shawn's choreography for Graham was what led her to first gain critical acclaim, so this
photograph is interesting. She is in a heavy dress, and he is in a suit. I want to use this
photograph on the Early Career section of my website when I am talking about Ted
Shawn's choreography for Graham.
Thoms, Victoria. "Martha Graham's Haunting Body: Autobiography at the Intersection of
Writing and Dancing." Dance Research Journal 40.1 (2008): 3-16. Web. 5 Nov. 2015.
<http://www.academia.edu/10120815/Martha_Graham_s_Haunting_Body_Autobiograph
y_at_the_Intersection_of_Writing_and_Dancing>. This secondary source is a paper
published to Academia, a collection of research papers and studies. The author, Victoria
Thoms, is a senior lecturer in Dance Practice and Performance at the University of
Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

Valerio, Luis. Martha Graham Dance Videos. YouTube. YouTube, 12 July 2012. Web. 6 Oct.
2015. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_63g5TICeY>. This video is of Martha
Graham's choreography with her dancing in the lead role of Queen Jocasta in Night
Journey, a piece about Jocasta's side of the Greek legend of Oedipus. It is the first video
I've seen of both Martha Graham and her choreography, and it is beautiful. It is a
secondary source because it is a video that was posted on YouTube by another person.
They have no credentials, but the video is obviously a real, trustworthy video because it
has the quality and appearance of an older film. Watching this helped me understand the
style of dance that Martha Graham worked with.