Do It

CHAPTER 1The Allodoxaphobic

MEET MARTHA GRAHAM

Everything about it was out of the norm. Untamed and unrefined, yet rhythmic and sensual. Every arc, limb, and movement flowed with new energy, new breath. An explosion of expression through physical art, unlike anything Martha had ever seen.

Tucked in a back row of Los Angeles's Mason Opera House, 16‐year‐old Martha watched in awe as the barefoot dancers commanded the stage with power and passion.

“What is this?” she asked her father.

“It's Ruth St. Denis, dear,” her father answered, eyes fixed on the stage.

It was 1911 and the only dance Martha had seen before this was classical ballet. Clean lines and graceful twirls she knew, but this was different. A form of dance with Mexican and Egyptian roots that refused to play by the rules.

Hooked, Martha turned to her father and proclaimed, “I'm going to be a dancer just like this someday.” He smirked, attributing the comment to childlike wishful thinking. But Martha was filled with newfound certainty. She couldn't wait to get home to their Santa Barbara estate to tell her mom.

“Won't mother be so proud!” Martha thought. “I'll go on to change the world!” To her dismay, Martha's exuberance was not shared by her parents when she returned home.

“Dance is not a career, darling. It's a recreation for drunk peasants,” her mother said dismissively. “You will stay put with us until you marry a wealthy young man who can provide for you and your family.”

In an instant, Martha's dream began to ...