Undoubtedly one of the unique dancers and choreographers of the 20th century was Martha Graham. She was born in the suburb of Allegheny (now Pittsburgh), Pennsylvania, on May 11, 1894 ("Biography of Martha Graham."). Martha said her first dance lesson was when her father told her to always remember that movement never lies (Aoki et al). Martha Graham trained and inspired a generation of artists and choreographers, including such diverse artists as Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, and Merce Cunningham (Tenaglia). He had the idea that movement should be "full of inner meaning, of excitement and impetus". So in 1926, as an entrepreneur, she founded her own dance company in New York City. At the same time, he had developed his own unique and highly innovative style that reflected other influences and a unique dance vocabulary that we can define as any modern dance movement (Tenaglia). Indeed, Martha Graham revolutionized modern dance. He had worked with Ted Shawn when he was young for several years; Graham improved her technique and began dancing professionally as a talented solo dancer. He subsequently took a position at the Eastman School of Music, where he was able to work independently and later invented his own dance technique and attitude which contributed to the founding of his company in 1926. One of his most significant influences on modern dance was when Graham performed a vocabulary of movement that showed all aspects of the human experience expressed theoretically through the body (Ellen). He had an ability to show his emotional and spiritual themes in his dance that no other dancer had shown, using spastic movements, tremors and falls. For example, one of the first pieces of the compa...... middle of paper ...... et al. "Martha Graham: The Life of a Dancer." Language Arts 77.5 (2000): 446.ProQuest. Network. Accessed January 19, 2014. Ellen G. Landau. "Graham, Martha." Grove Art Online. Oxford Art Online. Oxford UniversityPress, accessed 19 January 2014.KISSELGOFF, ANNA. "DANCE VIEW; Martha Graham's Reflections on the Revolution." NewYork Times, May 29, 1988. http://search.proquest.com/docview/426826649?accountid=27372. "Biography of Martha Graham." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television and Web. accessed January 15, 2014. http://www.biography.com/people/martha-graham-9317723Taylor, Clarke. "MARTHA GRAHAM STILL LOOKS TO THE FUTURE." LosAngeles Times (1923-Current File), April 21, 1986. http://search.proquest.com/docview/154721641?accountid=27372.Tenaglia, Susan. “Building on the Graham tradition.” The World and I 18.11 (2003): 76-81.ProQuest. Network. Accessed January 14. 2014.