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How did Ted Shawn help Martha Graham become a successful performer?
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Martha Graham
Martha Graham performing “Letter to the World” (also called “The Kick”), 1940.
Ted Shawn played a pivotal role in Martha Graham’s early career as her primary teacher at the Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts.
Recognizing her potential, Shawn identified sources of dramatic power within Graham and channeled them into the Aztec ballet Xochitl. This performance achieved tremendous success in both vaudeville and concert settings, effectively establishing Graham as a star within the Denishawn company.1