--- description: Martha Graham is one of the leaders, innovators, activists, entertainers, athletes and artists who defined the last century. title: Martha Graham: 100 Women of the Year image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5460f9ddee7690a/698a0af8096a944b186a7cda/social-1930_Martha-Graham.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # 1930: Martha Graham Mar 5, 2020 11:33 AM CUT  Lebrecht Music & Arts/Bridgeman by [TIME Staff](/author/time-staff/) ## TIME Staff Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Mar 5, 2020 11:33 AM CUT In 1930, four years after establishing her school and its philosophies, visionary choreographer Martha Graham debuted [_Lamentation_](https://marthagraham.org/portfolio-items/lamentation-1930/ "undefined"), a wrenching solo piece in which a shrouded and self-bound figures twists and writhes, contracted into her pain and the search for release. It’s a seminal piece in her opus, beloved for its enduring power as a meditation upon distinctly feminine grief. Created in response to male-dominated Russian and European schools—and the decorative roles they gave female dancers—Graham’s company deconstructed the traditions of acceptable training, presenting a revolutionary new art form. Her signature technique uses the power of the pelvis, controlled breath and weighted movement to embody a ritualized way of inhabiting the female form—stripping back structure and socially acceptable portrayals. The result is deeply personal, and relies on the body as a conduit for knowledge. With a dazzling array of personal works that spanned 50 years, Graham laid the foundation for contemporary [dance](https://time.com/5484237/dancing-health-benefits/ "undefined"). In reflecting visceral elements of universal human experience and collective memory, Graham asks us to move not just our bodies, but our souls. _—Marisa Tomei_ _Tomei is an Oscar-winning actor_ --- _This article is part of_ [_100 Women of the Year_](https://time.com/100-women-of-the-year/ "undefined")_, TIME’s list of the most influential women of the past century. Read more_ [_about the project_](https://time.com/5793734/time-100-women-of-the-year-issue/ "undefined")_, explore the_ [_100 covers_](https://time.com/5793732/time-100-women-of-the-year-covers/ "undefined") _and sign up for our_ [_Inside TIME newsletter_](https://cloud.newsletters.time.com/newsletters?newsletter%5Fname=INSIDE%5FTIME&source=article-woy-footer "undefined") _for more._ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5792727/martha-graham-100-women-of-the-year/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5792727/martha-graham-100-women-of-the-year/"},"headline":"1930: Martha Graham","datePublished":"2020-03-05T11:33:46.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-24T08:20:03.670Z","description":"Martha Graham is one of the leaders, innovators, activists, entertainers, athletes and artists who defined the last century.","url":"https://time.com/5792727/martha-graham-100-women-of-the-year/","keywords":["Women of the Year"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5460f9ddee7690a/698a0af8096a944b186a7cda/social-1930_Martha-Graham.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"TIME Staff","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/time-staff/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blte5460f9ddee7690a/698a0af8096a944b186a7cda/social-1930_Martha-Graham.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"SOCIAL - Women of the Year: 1930_Martha-Graham","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5792727/martha-graham-100-women-of-the-year/","name":"1930: Martha Graham"}}]}] ```