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Martha Graham: When Dance Became Modern
A major biography—the first in three decades—of one of the most important artistic forces of the twentieth century, the legendary American dancer and choreographer who upended dance, propelling the art form into the modern age, and whose profound and pioneering influence is still being felt today.
"Brings together all the elements of Graham’s colorful life...with wit, verve, critical discernment, and a powerful lyricism. ”— Mary Dearborn, acclaimed author of Ernest Hemingway
Time magazine called her “the Dancer of the Century.” Her technique, used by dance companies throughout the world, became the first long-lasting alternative to the idiom of classical ballet. Her pioneering movements—powerful, dynamic, jagged, edgy, forthright—combined with her distinctive system of training, were the epitome of American modernism, performance as art. Her work continued to astonish and inspire for more than sixty years as she choreographed more than 180 works.
At the heart of Graham’s movement that could express inner feeling.
Neil Baldwin, author of admired biographies of Man Ray (“Truly definitive . . . absolutely fascinating” —Patricia Bosworth) and Thomas Edison (“Absorbing, gripping, a major contribution to our understanding of a remarkable man and a remarkable era” —Robert Caro), gives us the artist and performer, the dance monument who led a cult of dance worshippers as well as the woman herself in all of her complexity.
Here is Graham, from her nineteenth-century (born in 1894) Allegheny, Pennsylvania, childhood, to becoming the star of the Denishawn exotic ballets, and in 1926, at age thirty-two, founding her own company (now the longest-running dance company in America).
Baldwin writes of how the company flourished during the artistic explosion of New York City’s midcentury cultural scene; of Erick Hawkins, in 1936, fresh from Balanchine’s School of American Ballet, a handsome Midwesterner fourteen years her junior, becoming Graham’s muse, lover, and eventual spouse. Graham, inspiring the next generation of dancers, choreographers, and teachers, among Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor.
Baldwin tells the story of this large, fiercely lived life, a life beset by conflict, competition, and loneliness—filled with fire and inspiration, drive, passion, dedication, and sacrifice in work and in dance creation.
"Brings together all the elements of Graham’s colorful life...with wit, verve, critical discernment, and a powerful lyricism. ”— Mary Dearborn, acclaimed author of Ernest Hemingway
Time magazine called her “the Dancer of the Century.” Her technique, used by dance companies throughout the world, became the first long-lasting alternative to the idiom of classical ballet. Her pioneering movements—powerful, dynamic, jagged, edgy, forthright—combined with her distinctive system of training, were the epitome of American modernism, performance as art. Her work continued to astonish and inspire for more than sixty years as she choreographed more than 180 works.
At the heart of Graham’s movement that could express inner feeling.
Neil Baldwin, author of admired biographies of Man Ray (“Truly definitive . . . absolutely fascinating” —Patricia Bosworth) and Thomas Edison (“Absorbing, gripping, a major contribution to our understanding of a remarkable man and a remarkable era” —Robert Caro), gives us the artist and performer, the dance monument who led a cult of dance worshippers as well as the woman herself in all of her complexity.
Here is Graham, from her nineteenth-century (born in 1894) Allegheny, Pennsylvania, childhood, to becoming the star of the Denishawn exotic ballets, and in 1926, at age thirty-two, founding her own company (now the longest-running dance company in America).
Baldwin writes of how the company flourished during the artistic explosion of New York City’s midcentury cultural scene; of Erick Hawkins, in 1936, fresh from Balanchine’s School of American Ballet, a handsome Midwesterner fourteen years her junior, becoming Graham’s muse, lover, and eventual spouse. Graham, inspiring the next generation of dancers, choreographers, and teachers, among Merce Cunningham and Paul Taylor.
Baldwin tells the story of this large, fiercely lived life, a life beset by conflict, competition, and loneliness—filled with fire and inspiration, drive, passion, dedication, and sacrifice in work and in dance creation.
576 pages, Hardcover
Published October 25, 2022
24 people are currently reading
236 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 10, 2023
The scope of this book is impressive. The 150 pages of backmatter/notes/etc. indicates that it's impeccably researched, and yet perhaps at some point the author should have said, "Okay, maybe that's enough." This is the definitive, authoritative biography that I'm not sure I wanted. At times, I felt like we'd spiraled too far from Graham herself to be of interest.
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November 21, 2022Excellent but very technical book about Martha - not sure we know her any better but we do admire her
January 19, 2023
One must possess a substantial familiarity with modern dance and its history to understand this book, let alone appreciate its intricacy.
That being said, I’ve been a modern dance student for eight years and still felt lost at various points as I read. Baldwin’s descriptions are riddled with nuance and complexity in diction, history, and dance terminology. It feels as though other dance scholars compose his intended audience as opposed to dancers themselves or average readers intrigued by Graham’s legacy.
On a positive note, the photographs interspersed throughout the novel are breathtaking. They beautifully capture MG’s undeniable stage presence, in addition to that of her most entrusted colleagues. I was also fascinated by the indisputable Mexican influence over her work detailed throughout the book, previously unaware of the connection Graham felt to the Aztec culture.
MG is one of the most iconic dancers, choreographers, and artistic trailblazers of all time. While I may recommend a more easily digestible Graham biography, I’d suggest this one if you’re up for a challenge.
That being said, I’ve been a modern dance student for eight years and still felt lost at various points as I read. Baldwin’s descriptions are riddled with nuance and complexity in diction, history, and dance terminology. It feels as though other dance scholars compose his intended audience as opposed to dancers themselves or average readers intrigued by Graham’s legacy.
On a positive note, the photographs interspersed throughout the novel are breathtaking. They beautifully capture MG’s undeniable stage presence, in addition to that of her most entrusted colleagues. I was also fascinated by the indisputable Mexican influence over her work detailed throughout the book, previously unaware of the connection Graham felt to the Aztec culture.
MG is one of the most iconic dancers, choreographers, and artistic trailblazers of all time. While I may recommend a more easily digestible Graham biography, I’d suggest this one if you’re up for a challenge.
Read
October 18, 2022In his new biography on American dancer and choreographer Martha Graham, Neil Baldwin argues that Graham's greatest achievement "was to take the language of classical dance and explode it, discovering new expressive possibilities by introducing movements that many viewers found grotesque or disturbing. The result was the making of modern dance." — Charlie Tyson
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/a...
https://www.theatlantic.com/culture/a...
November 2, 2022
Thank you to Knopf for this book and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.
The book is written for an audience familiar with modern dance and Martha Graham. I am a fan of both, but I still felt left behind when the book started. It felt like I needed to catch up with the assumed knowledge level I would have. It is a quite comprehensive and extensively researched biography. Indeed, it becomes not only a biography but a history of modern dance. It incorporates those teachers from whom she learned and her literary and artistic influences.
Given the discussion of Indian, Egyptian, and indigenous dances as inspiration, I would have appreciated more awareness of cultural appropriation. Indeed, many of the language choices felt pulled from the era being described. While I will give the benefit of the doubt that this was an intentional, stylistic choice, it was quite jarring as a modern reader. If we are given a new biography after many that already exist, I would prefer it take a new and current perspective.
Most of it was narrated by Gabrielle de Cuir, who did a delightful job. But I appreciated the hardcover more for its incorporation of gorgeous pictures, both from Martha Graham's life and from her dances.
I recommend this for dancers, art critics, and others who are well versed in the history and terminology of modern dance.
Rounded up to 3 stars
The book is written for an audience familiar with modern dance and Martha Graham. I am a fan of both, but I still felt left behind when the book started. It felt like I needed to catch up with the assumed knowledge level I would have. It is a quite comprehensive and extensively researched biography. Indeed, it becomes not only a biography but a history of modern dance. It incorporates those teachers from whom she learned and her literary and artistic influences.
Given the discussion of Indian, Egyptian, and indigenous dances as inspiration, I would have appreciated more awareness of cultural appropriation. Indeed, many of the language choices felt pulled from the era being described. While I will give the benefit of the doubt that this was an intentional, stylistic choice, it was quite jarring as a modern reader. If we are given a new biography after many that already exist, I would prefer it take a new and current perspective.
Most of it was narrated by Gabrielle de Cuir, who did a delightful job. But I appreciated the hardcover more for its incorporation of gorgeous pictures, both from Martha Graham's life and from her dances.
I recommend this for dancers, art critics, and others who are well versed in the history and terminology of modern dance.
Rounded up to 3 stars
November 2, 2022
A writer’s book about MG and her impact on American dance. MG is arguably one of, if not the most, recognizable faces and bodies of American Modern Dance. Her story is every young dancer’s fairy tale - small very rural town roots to acclaimed international tours featuring one of the oldest continuously operating companies in the world.
While there are no major revelations about MG it is a lovely book written by a writer who loves words the way that she loved movements. Without MG and her focus on the actual body- the space it takes up, the energy it uses, the shapes it creates - dancers and audiences would never have gotten the modern wonders and sheer variety of performances we have to be thankful for. Her technique is solid and grounded, sometimes an entire class happens on the floor. Her ability to absorb the training and technique from other pioneers ( DS, Petipa, & African and Asian ceremonial movements) releases wonderfully and eccentricity into nearly 200 ballets, dances, scenes, and showcases. Truly a remarkable life well lived and in this well researched and very heavy book, well recorded.
If you aren’t already familiar, this probably isn’t the best way to test the water of dance tomes. If you love MG or dance in general, it is worthy of your time
While there are no major revelations about MG it is a lovely book written by a writer who loves words the way that she loved movements. Without MG and her focus on the actual body- the space it takes up, the energy it uses, the shapes it creates - dancers and audiences would never have gotten the modern wonders and sheer variety of performances we have to be thankful for. Her technique is solid and grounded, sometimes an entire class happens on the floor. Her ability to absorb the training and technique from other pioneers ( DS, Petipa, & African and Asian ceremonial movements) releases wonderfully and eccentricity into nearly 200 ballets, dances, scenes, and showcases. Truly a remarkable life well lived and in this well researched and very heavy book, well recorded.
If you aren’t already familiar, this probably isn’t the best way to test the water of dance tomes. If you love MG or dance in general, it is worthy of your time
April 22, 2023
This book was extremely intricate and followed Martha Graham throughout her life by exploring her background, inspirations, and connections in the dance world. As someone that grew up dancing and appreciates Martha Graham’s style/technique, I was excited to read this book to learn more about her life. Without knowing more about dance history and the key players mentioned, this book was hard to follow at times, and felt extremely dense, but I see why those with extended modern dance knowledge would rate this book highly.
December 9, 2022
All-encompassing, well-written, fascinating tale of not just the life and career of Martha Graham, but the modern movement she was central to. If you know nothing of the history of modern dance, this book fills you in while bringing to life this brilliant artist.
May 17, 2023
This book covers the life of Martha Graham from her earliest days until her death. Dances are described in great detail as are the relationships she had with composers and her company. Interesting yet very lengthy.
October 3, 2024
Someone extremely hard to capture in a biography. The author did a very good job ig catching lightening in a bottle
For lovers of dance especially modern dance
Watching dances described on YouTube increases the pleasure of the book immensely.
For lovers of dance especially modern dance
Watching dances described on YouTube increases the pleasure of the book immensely.
Read
March 14, 2023"I wanted to be the Deathless One."
Read
March 30, 2023Audiobook. DNF
August 20, 2023
A thoughtfully researched biography of Graham that works to make her part in larger cultural context evident to those who did not realize her brilliance.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews