Martha Graham had a great impact on modern dance over the years and even after her death. He took the conventional dances of his time and revolutionized them. Martha Graham and her techniques have greatly influenced modern dance by introducing new and innovative concepts. As Alma Guillermoprieto understood, Graham was "the first modern dance creator to devise a truly universal dance technique from the movements she developed in her choreography" (qtd. in Terry). This statement shows that the effects of Martha Graham and her techniques were universal across dance. To start, one technique created by Martha Graham that is the main focus of all of her techniques is to focus on your breathing. She wondered a lot about what was happening in her body as she breathed, and then noticed that there are many different ways the body can breathe (Kessel 29). According to Kessel "Martha believed that by connecting breath and movement, her dance could become more meaningful and expressive" (30). Kessel's point is that Martha Graham's technique of focusing on breathing was so important because she believed it could make her dancing more exciting, which is one of the main reasons she creates her techniques. Another Martha Graham technique, the most basic and widely used, is her use of contraction and release. The contraction occurs when the dancer inhales and the release occurs when the dancer exhales. Kessel says, “During exhalation, the deep muscles of the torso contract, pushing air out of the lungs. During inhalation the same muscles relax as the fresh air comes back in" (30). Basically Kessel talks about the scientific view of contraction and release, which are considered intensified movements of inhalation and exhalation. ... half of the article .....Web. May 8, 2014. "Graham, Martha." The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia New York: Columbia University Press, 2013. Student Edition, May 8, 2014. Kessel, Martha Graham York: Rosen Pub Group, 2006 . Print.Kisselgoff, Anna "Martha Graham dies at 96; A revolutionary in dance." The New York Times. The New York Times, 01 April 1991. Web. 15 May 2014. Marcel, Emily. "Terese Capucilli: Plunging Deep into Graham Technique." Dance Magazine 1 July 2009: 52-53 . Student Edition. Web, May 6, 2014. "Martha Graham About the Dancer." PBS September 16, 2005. Web, May 8, 2014. Terry, Walter. "Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 11 May 2006. Web. 14 May 2014.