Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 — April 1, 1991) was an American dancer & choreographer, whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Stravinsky had on music, Picasso had on the visual arts, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture. She danced and choreographed for over seventy years, and during that time she was the first dancer ever to perform at The White House, travel abroad as a cultural ambassador, and receive the highest civilian award of the USA: the Presidential Medal of