Martha Graham
The 3rd place in the list of the best American dancers is Martha Graham. She was an American choreographer and modern dancer who lived from May 11, 1894 until April 1, 1991. Graham's method transformed American dance and is currently taught around the world. Graham was a dancer and teacher for more than seventy years. She was the first dancer to perform in the White House, travel abroad as a cultural ambassador, and receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom with Distinction, the highest civilian honour in the United States.
She was awarded numerous accolades during her lifetime, including the Key to the City of Paris and Japan's Imperial Order of the Precious Crown. "I have spent my entire life with dancing and being a dancer," she remarked in the 1994 documentary The Dancer Revealed. It's allowing life to use you in a powerful way. It isn't always pleasant. It can be frightening at times. Nonetheless, it is unavoidable." The Martha Graham School of Dance is the oldest dance school in the United States, having been founded in 1926 (the same year as Graham's professional dance company). Originally housed in a modest studio within Carnegie Hall, the school now has two locations in New York City.
- Born: May 11, 1894
- Died: April 1, 1991 (aged 96)New York City, U.S.
- Known for: Dance and choreography
