MARTHA GRAHAM - 50 American Heroes Every Kid Should Meet

MARTHA GRAHAM

May 11, 1894 - April 1, 1991

It began with a show poster. Martha was almost 17 when she spotted the exotic image of Ruth St. Denis during a walk with her parents. Martha couldn't take her eyes off the picture of this "modern dancer," dressed like a Hindu goddess. St. Denis was appearing in Los Angeles, about 100 miles from where the Grahams lived. Martha pleaded with her dad to take her to see this mysterious looking performer, and he did. He bought Martha a new dress and hat and even gave her a corsage of violets. He could tell how excited the poster and the upcoming show had made his daughter. But he never could have imagined how that one evening would change his daughter's life and the world of dance. Completely overwhelmed by the performance, Martha knew what she wanted to do with her life. "From that moment on, my fate was sealed. I couldn't wait to learn to dance as the goddess did.”

Martha's artistic passion and creativity would lead her to study, learn and eventually found her own dance company because, as she explained, "I did not dance the way that other people danced." Martha Graham moved away from traditional ballet techniques toward a style that communicated intense emotions. She choreographed dances full of energy and spirit. She told stories with movement.

And she stood up for what she believed in, both on and off the stage. In 1936, Graham was invited by Nazi Germany to perform at the Olympic Games in Berlin. She told them to forget it, only to find out later that the Nazis had put her name on a list of undesirable people to be "taken care of" when the Nazis controlled the United States.

Martha Graham danced until she was almost 80 years old. Helen Keller, who was blind and deaf, came to visit her studio and feel the vibrations the dancers' feet made on the floor. Former First Lady Betty Ford studied with Martha, and so did – Madonna! In 1976, President Gerald Ford called Graham "a national treasure."

POWER WORDS!

"I'm going to the top. Nothing is going to stop me. And I shall do it alone."
- Martha Graham

How open are you to exploring new fields? How daring are you to try things you've never tried before?

When she started taking a class with her "goddess," Martha Graham was 22 - older than the other students. And a bit overweight. And somewhat unattractive. And short. But none of these obstacles to becoming a professional dancer stood in her way.

Have you ever thought about a career in the arts? Use the library and the Internet to learn about dancers, musicians and singers. See what you have to do to make it into their world.

Each year, in our nation's capital, The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts selects five or six living performers to honor for their lifetime achievements. Martha Graham was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 1979. It's a great honor, and knowing about what those people have done may inspire you. Some of their names may be familiar -- Tina Turner, Bill Cosby, Elton John, Oprah Winfrey, and Paul McCartney. Many others are people whose talent and creative energy have set new standards for excellence in the arts. Go to www.kennedy-center.org for the complete picture on honorees and the Kennedy Center itself, or write to them at The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 2700 F Street, NW, Washington, D.C. 20566. While you're at it, track down a Martha Graham DVD or two at the library or online. Watch her move and know that you are watching history.

DIVE IN!

Martha Graham, A Dancer's Life by Russell Freedman (Clarion Books 1998), 175 pages, Photos.