Martha Graham Floor Exercises

The floor plays an integral part as every movement is taken.

Martha graham floor exercises.

However the notions that are most commonly practiced in graham s floor work are the bounces breathings turns around the back and spirals. Evolved over 80 years of consistent practice and teaching at the martha graham center in new york city and at dance centers arts high schools and college and university dance departments globally the floor work grounds mobilizes and strengthens the body s core. Breathings contraction and release spirals deep stretches turns around the back graham plies with contractions and. Two levels of programming are designed for teachers who are new to graham level i november 2 6 as well as veteran graham instructors level ii november 9 13.

The graham technique believes that the fall is the acknowledgment of the power of gravity. The martha graham school offers two intensive five day workshops for instructors who wish to deepen their understanding of the graham technique. The martha graham technique is one of the most thorough and systematic contemporary dance techniques to emerge from the 20th century. Martha graham is all about performance.

These are images from the martha graham 1894 1991 technique. An introduction to floorwork in a martha graham technique class 1. Yes we ached and our leg muscles really hurt especially during the pliés that followed. Many of the exercises in the graham syllabus require the dancer to fall powerfully into the floor and these movements are seen repeatedly throughout the graham repertory.

A series of short films demonstrating the physical techniques and dance moves developed by legendary american choreographer and dancer martha graham beautifully illustrated by young dancers from. When teaching a master class to students who are unfamiliar with graham dakin sometimes adjusts exercises to hone in on one concept at a time. While graham s is a codified technique with a set series of seated floor exercises standing exercises and across the floor sequences there are various ways of presenting material from the syllabus.