What is a contraction? How do you perform it?

Martha Graham used contractions to show grief within the body. A contraction is a movement that extends the spine,  a vertebrae at a time and extending from the bottom of the spine to the top.
when you perform a contraction it is strong scooped in stomach and relaxed shoulders, pulling back with the stomach muscles and curving to extend the spine on vertebra at a time. (pulling back as if you've been punched in the stomach)
Its a slow release movement.



THIS IS A PICTURE OF A MARTHA GRAHAM CONTRACTION BEING PERFORMED.