Martha Graham (1894-1991) was an American dancer and choreographer. She was a pioneer of modern dance and created the Graham technique that became the first significant alternative to classical ballet. Edward Steichen photographed Martha Graham for Vanity Fair in 1931. To photograph the dancer, Steichen converted his studio into a stage on which she could perform. He took a series of pictures of Graham in different poses. While this photograph was not published in Vanity Fair, Steichen included it in his autobiography.