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Why was Xochitl important in Martha Graham’s early career?
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Martha Graham
Martha Graham performing “Letter to the World” (also called “The Kick”), 1940.
Xochitl was significant to Martha Graham’s early career because it served as a pivotal vehicle for her development as a performer at the Denishawn School of Dancing and Related Arts.1
In this Aztec ballet, her teacher Ted Shawn identified and channeled sources of dramatic power within her. The performance achieved tremendous success in both vaudeville and concert settings, effectively establishing Graham as a star of the Denishawn company.1