Martha Graham

Graham, Martha (1894–91), U.S. dancer, choreographer, and teacher. A pupil of Ruth St. Denis, she made her debut in the Denishawn companies (1920) and formed her own troupe in 1929. A major influence and pioneer in modern dance, she choreographed such works as Appalachian Spring (1944), Clytemnestra (1958), and The Archaic Hours (1969). In 1976 she was awarded the U.S. Medal of Freedom.

See also: Ballet.