What is the Graham Technique?

Martha Graham's foundational modern-dance technique built on 'contraction and release' and movement initiated from the breath and torso.

Where did the Graham Technique originate?

The Graham Technique originated in United States in 1926.

What time signature is the Graham Technique danced in?

The Graham Technique is danced in Set by accompaniment (varies).

What tempo is the Graham Technique danced at?

The Graham Technique is typically danced at Varies.

What is the character of the Graham Technique?

The Graham Technique is characterized as grounded, dramatic, weighted.

Dance History›Contemporary Dance›Graham Technique

Kate Reyes- Graham Technique Solo · Kate Reyes

Contemporary DanceCON-GRA

Graham Technique

Also known as: Martha Graham technique

OriginUnited States

Era1926–Present

RhythmSet by accompaniment (varies)

TempoVaries

CharacterGrounded, dramatic, weighted

Origin: United States
Era: 1926–Present
Rhythm: Set by accompaniment (varies)
Tempo: Varies
Character: Grounded, dramatic, weighted

History & Cultural Context

Developed by Martha Graham from the founding of her company in 1926, Graham technique organizes movement around the opposition of contraction and release and the principle that movement originates in the torso and breath rather than the feet. Its grounded, angular, emotionally charged vocabulary had a revolutionary effect on modern dance and remains a hallmark training method of contemporary concert dance.

Cultural Significance

Graham's company is among the oldest in the United States and trained generations of dancers and choreographers.

Characteristic Movement & Technique

Contraction and release through the pelvis and spine; spiral; floorwork; movement driven from breath and torso.

Signature Figures

Martha Graham
Louis Horst

Notable Codifiers

Martha Graham

Graham Technique Music & Tempo

Drawn from 20 Graham Technique tracks in the LODance music library.

Example tracks at practice tempo

Prances — Erik Geddis125 BPM
Walks — Erik Geddis96 BPM
Preparation for Jumps — Erik Geddis93 BPM
Long Leans — Erik Geddis123 BPM
Pliés — Erik Geddis73 BPM
Deep Stretches — Erik Geddis115 BPM

Browse & play all 20 Graham Techniquetracks in the Music Library →

Who governs Graham Technique

Federations, councils and examining bodies with a recorded role in this style. No single organisation can tell you this — each one knows only itself.

Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance (MGCCD)Heritage body · International · USATeaches what it calls Martha Graham Technique

Graham Technique on screen

Films and television where Graham Technique appears, with the sequences worth watching for.

Martha Graham: The Dancer Revealed (1994)8 sequences indexedFinal company class: Graham rises to teach · chor. Martha GrahamRare archival films of Martha Graham dancing · chor. Martha GrahamCompany performance excerpts across generations · chor. Martha Graham

Appalachian Spring (1958)4 sequences indexedNewlyweds’ barn-dance duet · chor. Martha GrahamRevivalist’s warning solo · chor. Martha GrahamPioneering Woman’s reassurance solo · chor. Martha Graham Heretic (1931)4 sequences indexedFinal kneeling and prone collapse · chor. Martha GrahamBlack semicircle and solitary woman in white · chor. Martha GrahamRepeated approaches to the closed chorus · chor. Martha Graham

Night Journey (1961)4 sequences indexedJocasta's interrupted suicide and Tiresias's summons · chor. Martha GrahamDaughters of the Night chorus · chor. Martha GrahamJocasta and Oedipus rope pas de deux · chor. Martha Graham Frontier (1976)3 sequences indexedFence-rail horizon survey · chor. Martha GrahamMarch, kicks, and kneeling hinge · chor. Martha GrahamSquare pathway and final salute · chor. Martha Graham

A Dancer's World (1957)2 sequences indexedCompany studio technique demonstrations · chor. Martha Graham“Moon” from Canticle for Innocent Comedians · chor. Martha Graham Lamentation (1943)1 sequence indexedComplete Lamentation solo · chor. Martha Graham

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Graham Technique in performance

7 staged works in the Limelight catalogue contain Graham Technique, 1930–1990 — 4 of them in a named act or number.

Primitive Mysteries1931
Ballet · Martha Graham · defining style
Hymn to the Virgin
Hymn to the Virgin, the opening section — Silent, repeated whole-cast entrances/exits and a hand-built halo formation around the soloist's head — patterned group gesture and ritual formation rather than step vocabulary. Source: "All of the dancers enter and…
Appalachian Spring1944
Ballet · Martha Graham · defining style
Eden Valley
Eden Valley, group passages for the Revivalist's four Followers — Unison group solos built on a spiraling motion that resolves into a kneeling position, cued precisely to short woodwind motifs as each Follower sits. Source: "the group often features a "spir…
Episodes1959
Ballet · George Balanchine · defining style
Act I · Episodes I
Episodes I, Graham's half of the ballet — Graham's own choreography for her company, developed in her studio to Webern's Passacaglia and Six Pieces, described as heavy with kneeling and floorwork, which reportedly caused friction when Balanchine observed a…
Maple Leaf Rag1990
Ballet · Martha Graham · defining style
White-gowned soloist interludes
White-gowned soloist's recurring crossings (interludes between the rag sections) — A soloist executes swirling turns and, per one critic, 'exalted kick turns' lifted directly from the Graham solo Letter to the World, performed in white gown with chignon as…
Lamentation1930
Ballet · Martha Graham · defining style
the entire solo, from opening seated stillness to the final covered-head gesture — seated torso and arm work built on 'deep contractions,' rocking and twisting the upper body so that the jersey costume is pulled into angular shapes framing an emotionless fa…
Cave of the Heart1946
Ballet · Martha Graham · defining style
Throughout the ballet, most explicitly in the 'cave turn' movement — Signature Graham vocabulary built on torso contraction; the ballet's own movement invention is a heads-down spin in arabesque penché combined with a contraction, subsequently absorbed into…
Errand into the Maze1947
Ballet · Martha Graham · defining style
the entire ballet, a solo-centred journey through a rope maze to a sculptural set — The heroine physically negotiates a maze and confronts an antagonist three times before dancing alone at the close; this is Graham's own choreography for her own dancing, bu…

Every claim above is quoted from a cited source and names where in the work the style appears. Claims we could not place or could not quote are held back from this list and shown on the work’s own page instead. Browse the full performance catalogue →

Sources & Further Reading

Cultural & Historical Context

Graham Technique emerged from United States during 1926—present day. Understanding the cultural roots, musical traditions, and social circumstances of this era enriches appreciation for the dance's characteristics and significance.

Formative Influences

Codifiers & Standardizers:

Martha Graham

Signature Movement Vocabulary:

Martha Graham, Louis Horst

Primary Source Documents

The Library of Dance contains public-domain primary sources for dance history. Copyrighted modern syllabi are indexed with purchase links to their respective copyright owners. Search by dance name or codifier to discover primary source documents.

Last reviewed: September 2026 — This dance profile synthesizes historical research, cultural documentation, and contemporary practice knowledge to provide authoritative context.

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Limón Technique(T-CON)

Release Technique(T-CON)

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