The

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

Tanztheater ("dance theatre") grew out of German Expressionist dance in

Weimar Germany The Weimar Republic (german: link=no, Weimarer Republik ), officially named the German Reich, was the government of Germany from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional federal republic for the first time in history; hence it is als ...

and 1920s

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

. The term first appears around 1927 to identify a particular style of dance emerging from within the new forms of 'expressionist dance' developing in Central Europe since 1917. Its main exponents include

Mary Wigman Mary Wigman (born Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann; 13 November 1886 – 18 September 1973) was a German dancer and choreographer, notable as the pioneer of expressionist dance, dance therapy, and movement training without pointe shoes. She is con ...

Kurt Jooss Kurt Jooss (12 January 1901 – 22 May 1979)Kurt Jooss
Internationales Biographisches Archi ...

and

Rudolf Laban Rudolf von Laban, also known as Rudolf Laban (German; also ''Rudolph von Laban'', hu, Lábán Rezső János Attila, Lábán Rudolf; 15 December 1879 – 1 July 1958), was an Austro-Hungarian, German and British dance artist, choreographer and ...

. The term reappears in critical reviews in the 1980s to identify the work of primarily German choreographers who were students of Jooss (such as

Pina Bausch Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as . Bausch's approach was noted for a stylized blend of dance m ...

and

Reinhild Hoffmann Reinhild Hoffmann (born 1 November 1943 in Sorau) is a German choreographer and dancer who is an important innovator in Tanztheater, along with Pina Bausch and Susanne Linke.Walther, Suzanne. ''Dance of Death: Kurt Jooss and the Weimar Years''. Ha ...

) and Wigman ( Susanne Linke), along with the Austrian

Johann Kresnik Johann "Hans" Kresnik (12 December 1939 – 27 July 2019) was an Austrian dancer, and theater director working in the tradition of German Tanztheater (dance theater) who is known for his politically charged approach to dance. Early life Johann Kr ...

. The development of the form and its concepts was influenced by Bertolt Brecht and

Max Reinhardt Max Reinhardt (; born Maximilian Goldmann; 9 September 1873 – 30 October 1943) was an Austrian-born theatre and film director, intendant, and theatrical producer. With his innovative stage productions, he is regarded as one of the most pro ...

, and the cultural ferment of the Weimar Republic. Tanztheater is more than a mere ‘blend’ of dance and dramatic elements. Both Birringer (1986) and Schlicher (1987) argue that the particular artistic and historical context of post-war Germany informed the genesis of Tanztheater.

Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as . Bausch's approach was noted for a stylized blend of dance mo ...

became internationally known. Bausch's dramaturge,

Raimund Hoghe Raimund Hoghe (12 May 1949 – 14 May 2021) was a German choreographer, dancer, film maker, journalist, and author. Because he was born with scoliosis, his early efforts were focused on journalism. His writings explored the human condition; a do ...

, created independent productions from 1989.

* * *Klein, Gabriele 2020. ''Pina Bausch's Dance Theater: Company, Artistic Practices and Reception''. transcript: Bielefeld, . * Markard, Anna 1985. Jooss. Cologne: Ballet Bühnen Verlag. * Preston-Dunlop Valerie & Sánchez-Colberg, Ana 2002. ''Dance and the Performative''. London: Verve. * Ana Sanchez-Colberg (1992) ''Traditions and Contradictions: A Choreological Documentation of Tanztheater from its Roots in Ausdruckstanz to Present''. London: Laban Centre. * Sánchez-Colberg, Ana 1992. ''You can see it like this or like that''. In Jordan, S and Allen, D.(eds) Parallel Lines. London: Arts Council. * Sánchez-Colberg, Ana 1993. ''You put your left foot in…then you shake it all about… Excursions and Incursions into Feminism and Bausch’s Tanztheater.'' In Thomas, Helen (ed.). Dance, Culture and Gender London: Routledge, 151–163. * Sánchez-Colberg, Ana 1996. ''Altered States And Subliminal Places: Charting The Road Towards A Physical Theatre.'' * Schlicher, Susanne 1987. ''Tanztheater Traditionen und Freiheiten''. Hamburg: Reinbeck Verlag. Expressionist theatre Musical theatre {{Dance-stub

Further reading