Martha Graham: A Hero
Alissa Heath
Ms. Couch
History period 4
9 April 2012 Research Paper A hero is someone who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character; someone who is admired for outstanding qualities or achievements. Martha Graham is a person who never thought about being “different” from everyone else, but she was. Martha Graham became one of the world’s most well known contemporary dancers, a teacher, and a choreographer because she always thought outside of the box. Many people consider Daoud Hari as a hero because he reflects many of the heroic traits. He took a stand to help the world understand the atrocities the people of Darfur and Sudan were faced with. Martha Graham, like Daoud Hari and his heroic traits, changed the whole world of dance by creating a few simple, basic moves to share her creativity with others. Martha Graham and Daoud Hari are different types of heroes that have changed different things, but they both exhibit some of the important traits of a hero in their self-confidence, bravery, and trust in themselves. Self-confidence is the number one key to being a great hero. Without self-confidence one cannot change the way people think, or change what happens in the world. “Athletic as a young girl, Graham did not find her calling until she was in her teens.” (“Martha Graham- About”) Martha Graham, when she was younger, had to experiment to determine what she was good at. She was always good at sports, so she tried dancing. Although she was not always the skinniest or prettiest in the class, she had self-confidence to keep going no matter how she looked because she knew that she was good at something that others were not. ”Dancers aren’t great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.” (Horosko) Martha Graham always believed that everybody could be great if they
Ms. Couch
History period 4
9 April 2012 Research Paper A hero is someone who commits an act of remarkable bravery or who has shown an admirable quality such as great courage or strength of character; someone who is admired for outstanding qualities or achievements. Martha Graham is a person who never thought about being “different” from everyone else, but she was. Martha Graham became one of the world’s most well known contemporary dancers, a teacher, and a choreographer because she always thought outside of the box. Many people consider Daoud Hari as a hero because he reflects many of the heroic traits. He took a stand to help the world understand the atrocities the people of Darfur and Sudan were faced with. Martha Graham, like Daoud Hari and his heroic traits, changed the whole world of dance by creating a few simple, basic moves to share her creativity with others. Martha Graham and Daoud Hari are different types of heroes that have changed different things, but they both exhibit some of the important traits of a hero in their self-confidence, bravery, and trust in themselves. Self-confidence is the number one key to being a great hero. Without self-confidence one cannot change the way people think, or change what happens in the world. “Athletic as a young girl, Graham did not find her calling until she was in her teens.” (“Martha Graham- About”) Martha Graham, when she was younger, had to experiment to determine what she was good at. She was always good at sports, so she tried dancing. Although she was not always the skinniest or prettiest in the class, she had self-confidence to keep going no matter how she looked because she knew that she was good at something that others were not. ”Dancers aren’t great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.” (Horosko) Martha Graham always believed that everybody could be great if they
Cited: Hari, Daoud. The Translator: A Tribesman 's Memoir of Darfur. New York: Random House, 2008 Horosko, Marian. Martha Graham: The Evolution of Her Dance Theory and Training. Gainesville: University of Florida, 2002 "Martha Graham." A Dancer 's Journal. Web. 11 Feb. 2012. “Martha Graham (1894- 1991)Internet: University of Pittsburgh Yaari, Nurit. "Myth into Dance:Martha Graham." Myth into Dance: Martha Graham 's Interpretation of Classical Tradition (2003): 221-42