Why We Care about Graham and Taylor

Martha Graham and Paul Taylor are regarded among some of the most influential American dancers and choreographers in history.  They made a mark in the world of dance and the world at large.  Our generation of dancers is descendant from them in ways.
What I really appreciate about Graham and what I think I can apply to my ideas about choreography is her process of exploration, assimilation, and transformation.  She used this process especially in her early works about cultures and rituals.  It is a way of approaching something unfamiliar, learning about it, to then make something of it that is unique to the individual/choreographer.  I think it is much less of a copy or interpretation, but rather an embodied experience or expression.
I appreciate from Taylor's work his blend of balletic form and grace with pedestrian moment  to tell stories about humanity or human experience.  The content and aesthetic of his work give that audience clear images to relate to.
Graham and Taylor's work are very different, but both lend very valid and important.
By Tori Diny

What was happening in the world?!

1889-1893 Benjamin Harrison
1891 the First Motion Picture Camera invented by W.L.K Dickson, patented by Thomas Edison the Same year Martha Graham Was born!  
1893-1897 Grover Cleveland 
1895 the widely accepted birth date of movies with the Lumiere brothers.  
1897-1901 William McKinley 
1901-1909 Theodore Roosevelt  
1903 Wright Brothers ~ the Wright Flyer  
1908-1927 Ford's Model T is invented and produced.  
1909-1913 William Howard Taft   
1913-1921 Woodrow Wilson  
1917 U.S. joins WWI
1921-1923 Warren G. Harding
1923-1929 Calvin Coolidge  
1926 NBC the U.S.'s first major broadcast network
1927 The Jazz Singer, the first "talkie" (motion picture with sound) is released  
1929-early 1940's Great Depression  
1929-1933 Herbert Hoover 
1933-1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt   
1941 U.S. Joins WWII  
1945-1953 Harry S Truman 

1950

• North Korea invades South Korea and captures Seoul in the first weeks of the conflict. At the United Nations, the Soviet Union is boycotting proceedings, so the U.S is able to push through a resolution 

• The Soviet Union begins putting nuclear missiles on submarines.

• The postwar baby boom dramatically increases birthrates in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia.
• In 1950, CBS broadcasts the first TV program in color.

1951

• The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is passed, limiting the president to a maximum of two terms in office. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was elected to four terms beginning in 1932. He died within months of beginning his fourth term. He was the first and only president to be elected to more than two terms.
• Electric power is produced from the first atomic power reactor in Arcon, Idaho. The U.S. tests nuclear weapons in Nevada and the South Pacific throughout the 50s.

1952

• Dwight D. Eisenhower is elected president of the United States, the first Republican president in 20 years. Richard Nixon is his Vice-President.

1953

• The Korean War ends after three years of inconclusive fighting. An armistice is signed and the boundary between North and South Korea is drawn at the 38th parallel.

1954

• U.S. President Eisenhower formulates the domino theory that says that once one country falls to a communist regime others in the region will be vulnerable, too. It is this theory that will be invoked by President Lyndon Johnson to escalate the war in Vietnam.
• The Brown v. Board of Education decision is handed down by the U.S. Supreme Court saying that "separate but equal" school systems are unconstitutional. An era of desegregation of schools is instituted.
• The U.S. launches the first nuclear powered submarine, the Nautilus.

1955

• Rosa Parks, an African American woman, is arrested after refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person in Montgomery, Alabama. Her arrest sparks a bus boycott led by local minister Martin Luther King, Jr., and sets the American civil rights movement in motion.

1956

• Dwight Eisenhower reelected as President of the United States. 

1959

• Fidel Castro installs the first communist regime in the Western Hemisphere. The U.S. breaks off diplomatic relations in 1961.

1960

• John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon run against each other for the U.S. presidency. In the first televised presidential debate, Kennedy is credited with winning the debate. In November, Kennedy wins a close election becoming the youngest person ever elected president.

1961 

• Ernest Hemingway commits suicide. Grandma Moses dies at 99.
• Yuri Gagarin first man in space. Alan Shepard first American in space.

1962 

• Marilyn Monroe dies.

1963 

• Martin Luther King Jr. delivers famous "I Have a Dream" speech at Washington rally.
• President Kennedy assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald

1964

• Beatles give first American concert.
• Martin Luther King Jr. receives Nobel Peace Prize.

1965 

• Winston Churchill dies. 

1968 

• Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy assassinated.

1969

•  Neil Armstrong first man on moon. 

1971 

• Louis Armstrong dies. 

1973 

• Pablo Picasso dies.

1974 

• President Nixon resigns.

1975 

• End of American involvement in Vietnam.

1978 

• John Paul II becomes first Polish pope.

1980 

• Ronald Reagan defeats President Carter. 
• United States boycotts Moscow Olympics.
•  John Lennon shot.

1983 

• Brooklyn Bridge is one hundred years old. 
• United States invades Granada.

1986 

• Challenger space shuttle explodes, killing crew. 
• Statue of Liberty Centennial celebration.
• U.S.S. Titanic found.

1987

•  Reagan administration shaken by Iran–Contra scandal. 

http://history1900s.about.com/od/timelines/tp/1950timeline.htm

http://school.familyeducation.com/civil-rights/african-american-history/47045.html

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0005250.html

http://mshistory.k12.ms.us/articles/62/the-civil-rights-movement-in-mississippi-on-violence-and-nonviolence  
http://www.history.com/topics/model-t   
(1891-1949 by Diny, Tori)
(1950-1987 Chanos, Carissa)

Paul Taylor's Professional Lineage

(Picture Above: Paul Taylor and Martha Graham)

Many monumental choreographers and performers have greatly influenced Paul Taylor and his signature stylistic choices.

As we know Paul Taylor was first exposed to the modern dance world at age 21, soon after he began dancing with Martha Grahams Company, first studying dance at the Martha Graham School, then later, beginning his professional dance career with the company. While Graham took Taylor under her wing, he was not only exploring her technique and style, he was also finding out more of what he liked and what his movement style was. Minimalism/minimalist movement was a big influence that Taylor had grasped on to when he had founded and began working with his company in 1954. This exploration of minimalism lead to a piece titled, "Duet" where him and his partner remained still for four whole minutes. Taylor's works are notably recognized for the exploration of everyday movement, pedestrian gestures mixed with the fluidity of ballet and emotion conveyed in them. With the exploration process being very predominant in most of Taylor's works, he also enjoyed collaborating with musicians, whom also emphasized the style and emotion of Taylor's later works, some of these musicians included John Cage and Claude Debussy.

Some of Taylor's most famous works include:
Three Epitaphs (1956)
Duet (1957)
Aureole (1962)
Scudorama (1963)
Orbs (1966)
  

Citations:

http://www.abt.org/education/archive/choreographers/taylor_p.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/arts/dance/no-tiptoeing-around-his-opinions.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/584873/Paul-Taylor
http://www.danceheritage.org/treasures/taylor_essay_wegmann.pdf
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_63g5TICeY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbhQYPxTmLo

Draper, Sarah

Martha Graham Professional Lineage

Born in 1894 in Pennsylvania, Martha Graham was influenced early on by her father a physiologist, who believed that the body and movement express the inner self.  His words, “Movement never lies” have kept with her. 

During the 1910's she traveled across the country through the American frontier to CA with her family.  That event was inspiration for "Frontier" (1935). 

In 1911 she saw Ruth St. Denis perform at the Mason Oprah house in LA.   She was intrigued, so in 1916 she joined Dennis’ company Denishawn and later taught at the Denishawn School.  She then, left and joined Greenwich Village Follies.  She began her independent carrier in 1925 and her own style and technique becomes identified.  “Graham identified a method of breathing and impulse control she called "contraction and release." For her, movement originated in the tension of a contracted muscle, and continued in the flow of energy released from the body as the muscle relaxed. This method of muscle control gave Graham's dances and dancers a hard, angular look, one that was very unfamiliar to dance audiences used to the smooth, lyrical bodily motions of Isadora Duncan and Ruth St. Denis. In her first reviews, as a result, Graham was often accused of dancing in an "ugly" way.” (Gills Kruman). 

Her work was also inspired by timeless themes: political, psychological, social, and sexual. 

Louis Horst was a well-known musician throughout New York but was most known for collaborating with Martha Graham to whom he devoted much of his carrier to.  Most notably he coached her in musical and encouraged her to expand her horizons—work with contemporary composers. 

“Graham was the first modern dance choreographer to fully use collaborations with other modern artists to create her dance theatre masterpieces.” (Gills Kurman).  She worked with Isamu Noguchi, a sculptor, and Aaron Copland, a contemporary composer, for “Appalachian Spring”. 

“Students who have studied at the Martha Graham School have moved on to professional dance companies such as the Martha Graham Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Jose Limon Dance Company, the Buglisi Dance Theater, Rioult Dance Theater, The Battery Dance Company, Noemi Lafrance Dance Company, as well as other companies throughout the world and well known Broadway shows.” ("History").

1894-Martha Graham is born in Allegheny, Penn.
1908-Moves with family to Santa Barbara, Ca.
1912-First sees Ruth St. Denis; enrolls in the Cumnock School of Expression
1917-Enrolls in the Denishawn School of Dancing
1923-1925: Dances with the Greenwich Village Follies
1926-Found own dance company
1927-Choreographs Revolt
1929-Choreographs Heretic
1930-Choreographs Lamentation
1931-Choreographs Primitive Mysteries
1935-Choreographs Frontier
1938-Choreographs American Document
1940-Choreographs El Penitente, Letter to the World
1941-Choreographs Punch and the Judy
1943-Choreographs Death and Entrances
1944-Choreographs Appalachian Spring
1946-Choreographs Cave of the Heart
1947-Choreographs Errand into the Maze
1948-Married dancer Erick Hawkins
1950-Suffers knee injury; is legally separated from Erick Hawkins; choreographs Judith
1958-Choreographs Clytemnestra
1960-Given a Capezio Award; choreographs Acrobats of God
1961-Choreographs Phaedra
1965-Given an Aspen Award in the Humanities
1969-Retires from performing; continues to choreograph
1976-Awarded Medal of Freedom
1981-Choreographs Acts of Light
1985-Presented with President Reagan's National Medal for the Arts
1991-Dies in New York City at the age of 96

Reference:
http://www.pitt.edu/~gillis/dance/martha.html
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200154832/default.html
http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?sid=68b8c6f5-3b5e-4458-8710-e7b1798fbd06%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=117&bdata=JkF1dGhUeXBlPWNvb2tpZSxpcCxjcGlkJmN1c3RpZD1zNzMyNDk2NCZzaXRlPWVob3N0LWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=655908
"History." Martha Graham. N.p.. Web. 16 Apr 2014. <http://marthagraham.org/about-us/our-history/>.
Gills Kruman, Susan. "Chapter 3: Modern Dancers Martha Graham." University of Pittsburgh. University of Pittsburgh University External Studies Program. Web. 16 Apr 2014. <http://www.pitt.edu/~gillis/dance/martha.html>.

(Essay by Diny, Tori)

Carissa Chanos

Brief Biography--Martha Graham

Martha Graham was a pioneer of modern dance, especially American, modern dance.  She was born May 11, 1891 in Pennsylvania, and she died April 1, 1991.

One of her first major life experiences was a cross country trip from Pennsylvania to California.  Which inspired a dance, “Frontier”.  She was inspired by a performance by Ruth St. Denis to join an arts orientated college.  After that, she then joined Denishawn in 1916 and danced there until 1923. In 1925, she started the Martha Graham Dance Company and began to develop her own technique.  She created 181 works--the most well known being "Appalachian Spring", "Frontier", "Lamentation", and "Seraphic Dialogue". She also inspired many students including: Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, and Erik Hawkins to name a few. Graham created 181 dances during her carrier, maintained a company, and a contemporary dance school.  

She was the first dancer to act as a cultural ambassador abroad and to perform in the White House for which she created a piece called “American Document”.   

The themes in her work were often uniquely American.  They question what it is to be American--life and the struggles, and spirit of the country.  Her work was also anthropological—inspired by movements from other cultrues and tribes—as well as having political, psychological, social, and sexual themes.  “Graham’s groundbreaking style grew from her experimentation with the elemental movements of contraction and release. By focusing on the basic activities of the human form, she enlivened the body with raw, electric emotion. The sharp, angular, and direct movements of her technique were a dramatic departure from the predominant style of the time"(History).  She received the Local One Centennial Award (1986) and the Medal of Freedom and Dance Magazine Award (1956).  It is more than just geography that make Martha Graham a distinctly American dancer/choreographer.  Her legacy shows that through her life experience, choreographic themes, awards, style, and personality that she is known as an American-modern-dance super-star.  

 
Refrences:
http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988513,00.htmlhttp://www.biography.com/people/martha-graham-9317723
http://www.kennedy-center.org/explorer/artists/?entity_id=3735
"History." Martha Graham. N.p.. Web. 16 Apr 2014. <http://marthagraham.org/about-us/our-history/>.
http://mgrahamabriefhistory.blogspot.com/2009/05/martha-grahams-awards-for-her-love.html  
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/loc.natlib.ihas.200154832/default.html


(Diny, Tori)

Paul Taylor's Lifetime Achievements and Contributions to Dance.

Paul Taylor has not only contributed widely, his ideas to modern dance, he has also gained the respect and made such impressions on other famous dancers consisting of Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and George Balanchine.

Paul Taylor first founded his own dance company in 1954 which is now in its 60th season. The Paul Taylor Dance Company has a long history, having preformed in 500 cities in 62 countries, 90 pieces in which Taylor has personally choreographed. To this day the company tours during most of the performing season in American Cities. Famous dancers have grown from the Paul Taylor Dance Company, including Twyla Tharp, and since 1954 Taylor has created 139 dances. What distinguished Paul Taylor's Choreography from the rest was the use of everyday movements or pedestrian movements, rather then dance movements. The themes of Taylor's works do not come from his experiences, rather things he has learned or seen or read about; and also the extremes of individual's feelings and interactions with each other. "  One of his most famous and most signature works to this day includes the classic Esplanade. 

Historic dancers Martha Graham and José Limón took Taylor under their wings and in 1955 he began his studies and joined the Martha Graham Dance Company as a soloist. Taylor also had the opportunity to work with Merce Cunningham and George Balanchine who had created work specifically for Taylor, soloist work "Episodes" in 1959 when Balanchine invited Taylor to be a guest artist with the New York City Ballet. Since working with various artists Paul Taylor has received almost every important award an artist could in their lifetime. He has received numerous Lifetime Achievement awards and has been awarded by President Clinton for the National Medal of Arts. Among these two, he has also received an Emmy Award, he was a recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors, and Taylor was also awarded Frances highest honor, "the Légion d'Honneur, in 2000 for exceptional contributions to French culture." Paul Taylor Dance Company http://ptdc.org/artists-dances/paul-taylor/

And still, to this day Paul Taylor will always be one of the most glorified and remembered performers and choreographers all across the world.

Citations:

http://www.dancemagazine.com/issues/February-2014/Taylor-made

Paul Taylor Dance Company<http://ptdc.org/artists-dances/paul-taylor/>

Bedinghaus, Treva "Paul Taylor"<http://dance.about.com/od/famousdancers/p/Paul_Taylor.htm>

<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Taylor_(choreographer)> 

Paul Taylor. bigoraphy <http://www.biography.com/people/paul-taylor-41059> 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHkciz_yYYI

Draper, Sarah

Brief Biography of Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor was born July 29, 1930 in Wilkinsburg, PA. He is known as an American modern dancer and choreographer familiar for his inventive, commonly humorous dances that he choreographed for his company. He enrolled into Syracuse University in 1947 on swimming and painting scholarships. Paul Taylor began his dance training in 1951. He later studied modern dance with Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and José Limón. He began his professional career in 1953 with Martha Graham’s company, creating such important roles as Aegisthus in Clytemnestra in 1958, Hercules in Alcestis in 1960, and Theseus in Phaedra in 1962. He also performed in works by other modern choreographers, including those of Charles Weidman and Merce Cunningham. He danced a solo created for him by George Balanchine in Episodes in 1959.   His company is currently in its 60th season premiering two new works. 
No longer dancing himself, Taylor has spent the past two decades devoted completely to directing his company and teaching the younger generations the rigors and beauty of dance. Taylor continues to find his inspiration both in the streets and in the studio. For him, watching the dancers move and responding to those movements is an essential part of his work. In this way the choreography becomes both an individual and communal endeavor. Among the dancers to move through his company on the way to starting their own were Laura Dean, Twyla Tharp, Dan Wagoner, and Senta Driver. Through these students and through the continued productions of his dance company, Paul Taylor’s work continues to inspire people throughout the world.

Citations:

http://www.dancemagazine.com/issues/February-2014/Taylor-made

http://ptdc.org/artists-dances/paul-taylor/  
http://www.biography.com/people/paul-taylor-41059#awesm=~oC4iqRUWIj53Zh

Chanos, Carissa