Martha Graham

Hello, my name is Martha. When I was a little girl, a long, long time ago in the year 1894, I loved to watch things move. I would watch the pretty leaves dance in the wind and the fluffy clouds float across the big blue sky. Everything was always moving! My father was a doctor, and he told me something I never, ever forgot. He said, “Martha, movement never lies.” That meant that the way you move your body shows how you really feel deep inside. If you are happy, you might jump and skip! If you are feeling quiet, you might move very slowly. I thought about that all the time, and I knew my body could tell a story without saying a word.

When I grew up, I wanted to be a dancer. But the dancing I saw didn't look like the big, real feelings I had inside my heart. I wanted to dance about being brave, or feeling a little bit scared, or being super excited! So, I decided to make up my very own way to dance. I learned to make my body tight, tight, tight like you are squeezing a ball. Then, I would let it all go with a big whoosh! That was my way of showing a big feeling. It felt so good to move in a way that was all my own. I wanted to share my new ideas with everyone, so I started my very own school and a group of dancers. We all danced our feelings together, and it was wonderful.

My favorite thing was to create dances that told stories without using any words. My body was the storyteller! We put on shows for people all over the world, sharing our stories through our special movements. I danced for a very, very long time. After a long and happy life, I grew very old and then I died. But my dances and my ideas are still here! Remember, your body can tell stories, too. When you are happy, sad, or excited, let your body show it. Everyone has a special way to move.