Martha Graham not only spoke those words she lived them. Born on May 11, 1894 in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, Graham invented a form of dance that astonished the world in the 20th century. She was not the first woman to break the ridgidness of conventional 19th century ballet; many women before her accomplished that. But it was her "homegrown" technique that startled audiences who took the ability of dancers for granted (Teachout). No longer did dancers soar through the air and descend gravity, now pelvic thrusts

In 1916, after having graduated from Cumnock, Martha enrolled in the Denishawn School. This was Graham's first real step towards the world of dance and came as a bit of a shock to her. She was used to academic situations and the free atmosphere of the Denishawn School was overwhelming to her. Her only previous dance training was at Cumnock, which was not extensive enough. Graham was a little overweight, older and much less graceful than her classmates were. However, it was Graham's determination that astonished Ruth St. Denis (Martha's idol) and Ted Shawn (McDonagh, 22). Graham had found her destiny at the age of 22, dangerously late for an aspiring dancer (Teachout). In 1916 Graham made her first public appearance as a dancer in a professional dance company in "A Dance Pageant of Egypt, Greece, and Italy," even though she had a very small part in the production.

and rugged floor work captured the stage. Martha Graham influenced the world of dance by introducing unique styles, staging, and costuming. She is known as one of the pioneers of modern dance, and her techniques are still studied around the world by students and professionals.

Later, Shawn asked Graham to live at the studio and teach lessons while he was away in the army. This was a step closer to her chosen career, and a realization that she was more a teacher than a performer (McDonagh, 24). However, Graham was teaching what she barely knew herself and performing with hardly any experience. This was not a set back for Graham, she just worked harder to succeed. Her emotional drive was exceptional as both a student and a teacher, and she never once gave up (McDonagh, 25). Late nights practicing in the studio and long days rehearsing with her students helped Graham learn more every day, and appreciate her body as a dancer. Her drive to absorb everything the world of dance had to offer encouraged her own students and was incredibly apparent in her productions.

Finally, in 1929 Graham was able to establish her own performing company in New York. However, her solo career did not provide her with enough money to run the entire company alone. In order to raise funds, Graham danced at the opening of Radio City Music Hall, modeled furs, and later gave classes to such actors as Bette Davis and Gregory Peck. During this transitional period, Graham had many influences to keep her ambitions high. Mary Wigman, a German whose care

Some common words found in the essay are:
Johansson Graham's, St Denis, Shawn Graham, Martha Graham, Denishawn Graham, Appalachian Spring, , Pennsylvania Graham, Shawn McDonagh, Wigman German, martha graham, modern dance, world dance, st denis, ruth st denis, ruth st, teachout martha graham, santa barbara, teachout martha, isadora duncan, student teacher, graham center stage, martha graham center, allegheny pennsylvania,
Approximate Word count = 1631
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page double spaced)