The Mother of Modern Dance

So it is the last day of the 2^nd week, already! And still a lot of people are feeling the strains for not dancing for a while, sore muscles, sore feet and exhaustion.

Today’s class was extremely energetic and dynamic, and, not to forget, enjoyable! We were practising Martha Graham’s, the mother of modern dance, technique. Graham's,("the American Dancer, teacher and choreographer" and who "revolutionized the world of modern dance" Freedman 1998) technique is a deviation from classical ballet. Graham’s use of specific body movements such as the contraction, release, and spiral has had profound influence on the development in the world of dance.

Graham believed that breath was extremely important when moving and therefore is a very vital part of her technique. However, personally I still find it hard to relax and breathe whilst moving. This then has a snowball affect and results in tense muscles. An example of breath is the Graham contraction:a  contraction begins from the pelvis and travels up the spine, up to the neck and head, which remain in line with the spine. Each contraction is accompanied with an exhalation of breath. I can apply this exhalation when performing simple centre work but when moving through contractions in longer sequences which requires concentration on various things like quality of movement, I tend to forget about breath. I need to pay particular attention to my breath from now on. Breath is vital in life, let alone in dance.  

In class we performed many high releases. I have notice I need to adjust my rib cage so it maintains alignment over my hips with no break in the lower back. My head still needs to remain in line with the spine.

I asked myself whilst in class; how can I be even more present when I am dancing? I will focus on performance and presence throughout the whole module.

Today I really wanted to have a strong sense of presence when moving throughout the space. In order to achieve this I focused my attention on my body’s lines such as when performing tilts making my arms strong and existence. I also made sure I was using my focus. I felt as if I gave it a good go! I enjoy moving in the way Martha Graham intended us to and I am looking forward to class next week!

de Mille, Agnes. Martha. New York: Random House, 1991

Graham, Martha. Blood Memory. New York: Doubleday, 1991.
Freedman. R Martha Graham: A Dancer's Life, 1998