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''Expressive dance'' from German ''Ausdruckstanz'', is a form of artistic dance in which the individual and artistic presentation (and sometimes also processing) of feelings is an essential part. It emerged as a counter-movement to
''Expressive dance'' from German ''Ausdruckstanz'', is a form of artistic dance in which the individual and artistic presentation (and sometimes also processing) of feelings is an essential part. It emerged as a counter-movement to classical ballet
Classical ballet is any of the traditional, formal styles of ballet that exclusively employ classical ballet technique. It is known for its aesthetics and rigorous technique (such as pointe work, turnout of the legs, and high extensions), its f ...
at the beginning of the 20th century in Europe. Traditional ballet was perceived as austere, mechanical and tightly held in fixed and conventional forms. Other designations are ''modern dance'' and (especially in the historical context) ''free dance'', ''expressionist dance'' or ''new artistic dance'', in Anglo-American countries ''German dance''. In 2014, modern dance with the stylistic forms and mediation forms of rhythmic and expressive dance movements was included in the as defined by the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. German Expressionist dance is related to '' Tanztheater''.
History
Expressionist dance was marked by the passage ofmodernism
Modernism is both a philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new forms of art, philosophy, ...
, vitalism
Vitalism is a belief that starts from the premise that "living organisms are fundamentally different from non-living entities because they contain some non-physical element or are governed by different principles than are inanimate things." Wher ...
, expressionism, avant-garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or ' vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical ...
and a general protest against artistic stagnation and the old society.
Ballet was perceived to have been superficial entertainment. The new dance would be art, both individual and artistic creation. The dance was described as the art of movement.
It was a revolution. It would be more expressive, and show more spirit and emotion and less virtuosity. The dance would be improvisational, uninhibited and provocative. Future spiritual and bodily reform movements expressed themselves in a new "natural" naked dance. The women took centre stage. A key protagonist was Isadora Duncan, who around 1900 had taken from classical dance technique and costume. She had even taken off dancing shoes – "you do not play the piano with gloves on". She wanted to unite the body, mind and spirit in her art, and searched with Olga Desmond
Olga Desmond (born Olga Antonie Sellin 2 November 1890, Allenstein, East Prussia ow Olsztyn, Poland– 2 August 1964, Berlin) was a German dancer, actress, art model and living statue.
Biography
Olga Antonie Sellin, born November 2, 1890, ...
for inspiration in ancient Greek and Egyptian art, during the time of Orientalism
In art history, literature and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects in the Eastern world. These depictions are usually done by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world. In particular, Orientalist ...
.
The revolutionary movements in Germany and the USA were most obvious, two countries that had no older rooted ballet tradition. The forerunners in Europe included Clotilde von Derp
Clotilde Margarete Anna Edle von der Planitz (5 November 1892 – 11 January 1974), known professionally as Clotilde von Derp, was a German expressionist dancer, an early exponent of modern dance. Her career was spent essentially dancing together ...
, Hertha Feist
Hertha Feist (1896–1990) was a German expressionist dancer and choreographer. She established her own school in Berlin, combining gymnastics with nudism and dance. In the 1930s, her ambitions were seriously curtailed by the Nazis.
Biography
Born ...
, Hilde Holger
Hilde Boman-Behram (née Hilde Sofer, stage name Hilde Holger; 18 October 1905 – 22 September 2001) was an expressionist dancer, choreographer and dance teacher whose pioneering work in integrated dance transformed modern dance.
Family
...
, Loie Fuller, Jo Mihaly and especially 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 ...
.
Schools for expressionist dance had special philosophies and emphases for dance, such as naturalness, breathing, tension / relaxation etc. It was often associated with floor contact, "weight" of dance movements, and experiments with music. Body and physicality were strongly emphasized. Rudolf von Laban was a theoretical prominent figure who was based on metaphysical ideas and one of the pioneers of ''Ausdruckstanz'' in Germany. From 1913-1918, Laban operated a school for art on the colony Monte Verità
Monte Verità (Italian; German 'Berg Wahrheit', meaning "Mount Truth" or "Mountain of Truth") is a 321 metres above sea level high hill and a cultural-historical ensemble in the Swiss canton of Ticino. The site is in the municipality of Ascona, a ...
in Ascona, Switzerland, which became a teaching centre for the new dance. Among his students were Kurt Jooss and Mary Wigman.
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 ...
was an important trendsetter as a dancer, choreographer and teacher. In her school in Dresden (opened in 1920) she taught Europe's premier aspiring dancers Gret Palucca
Gret Palucca (born Margarethe Paluka; 8 January 1902 – 22 March 1993) was a German dancer and dance teacher, notable for her dance school, the Palucca School of Dance, founded in Dresden in 1925.
Life and work
Margarethe Paluka was born in Mu ...
, Harald Kreutzberg
Harald Kreutzberg (December 11, 1902 – April 25, 1968) was a German dancer and choreographer associated with the Ausdruckstanz movement, a form in which the individual, artistic expression of feelings or emotions is essential. Though largely fo ...
, Jeanna Falk, Dore Hoyer and Yvonne Georgi. Hanya Holm
Hanya Holm (born Johanna Eckert; 3 March 1893 – 3 November 1992) is known as one of the "Big Four" founders of American modern dance. She was a dancer, choreographer, and above all, a dance educator.
Early life, connection with Mary Wigman
B ...
brought her theories to the United States, while Birgit Åkesson went her own way with her dance research.
The ''Denishawn School'' in the United States was founded by Ruth St. Denis and Ted Shawn
Ted Shawn (born Edwin Myers Shawn; October 21, 1891 – January 9, 1972) was a male pioneer of American modern dance. He created the Denishawn School together with his wife Ruth St. Denis. After their separation he created the all-male company ...
, with such students as Martha Graham
Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer and choreographer. Her style, the Graham technique, reshaped American dance and is still taught worldwide.
Graham danced and taught for over seventy years. She ...
and Doris Humphrey
Doris Batcheller Humphrey (October 17, 1895 – December 29, 1958) was an American dancer and choreographer of the early twentieth century. Along with her contemporaries Martha Graham and Katherine Dunham, Humphrey was one of the second g ...
. Its independent and pioneering dance came to form the backbone of modern dance, whose many branches stretched forth up until today.
Butoh is inspired by the German expressionist dance of the 1950s.
The British choreographer and live performer Liz Aggiss, who trained with Hanya Holm
Hanya Holm (born Johanna Eckert; 3 March 1893 – 3 November 1992) is known as one of the "Big Four" founders of American modern dance. She was a dancer, choreographer, and above all, a dance educator.
Early life, connection with Mary Wigman
B ...
and Hilde Holger
Hilde Boman-Behram (née Hilde Sofer, stage name Hilde Holger; 18 October 1905 – 22 September 2001) was an expressionist dancer, choreographer and dance teacher whose pioneering work in integrated dance transformed modern dance.
Family
...
, has been making expressionist dance works since 1986. Her first solo show, ''Grotesque Dancer'', was inspired by Valeska Gert. In 1992, Holger revived four dances for Aggiss from her repertoire: ''Die Forelle (The Trout)'' (1923), ''Le Martyre de San Sebastien'' (1923), ''Mechaniches Ballett'' (1926) and ''Golem'' (1937). These were first performed, as Vier Tanze, at the Manchester Festival of Expressionism in 1992.'List of Works', Aggiss and Cowie (eds) Anarchic Dance, Routledge, 2006, p.177 Sophie Constanti wrote that 'Together all four pieces danced with great sensitivity and aplomb by Aggiss...provided a fascinating insight into the lost Ausdruckstanz of central Europe.'Sophie Constanti, 'Dancing Diva: Hilde Holger's choreography reaches the British stage at last and triumphs', Arts Section, ''The Guardian'', 9 June 1993, p3-4
Indian dancer Patruni Sastry has been working on choreographic style "Indian expressionism" where the major work is focused on queer rights and other social elements
Literature
* Bergsohn, H. and Partsch-Bergsohn, I. (2003) The Makers of Modern Dance in Germany: Rudolf Laban, Mary Wigman, Kurt Jooss. Independent Publishers Group. * Robinson, J. (1998) Modern Dance in France, 1920-1970: An Adventure. Routledge. * Vernon-Warren, B. and Warren, C. (Eds) (1999) Gertrud Bodenwieser and Vienna's Contribution to Ausdruckstanz. Routledge. * Kolb, A. (2009). Performing Femininity. Dance and Literature in German Modernism. Oxford: Peter Lang. * Amelie Soyka (Hrsg.): ''Tanzen und tanzen und nichts als tanzen. Tänzerinnen der Moderne von Josephine Baker bis Mary Wigman''. Aviva, Berlin 2004. * Hermann und Marianne Aubel: ''Der Künstlerische Tanz unserer Zeit.'' Die Blauen Bücher. K. R. Langewiesche, Leipzig 1928, 1935; Neudruck der Erstausgabe nebst Materialien zur Editionsgeschichte. Einführender Essay von Frank-Manuel Peter. Published by the Albertina Wien. Langewiesche, Königstein i. Ts. 2002. * Alexandra Kolb: ''Performing Femininity. Dance and Literature in German Modernism.'' Oxford: Peter Lang 2009. * Silke Garms: ''TanzBalance. Ausdruckstanz für Frauen.'' Rosenholz, Kiel/Berlin 1999. * Silke Garms: ''Tanzfrauen in der Avantgarde. Lebenspolitik und choreographische Entwicklung in acht Porträts.'' Rosenholz, Kiel/Berlin 1998. / * Hedwig Müller: ''Die Begründung des Ausdruckstanzes durch Mary Wigman.'' Köln, Phil.Diss. 1986 * Hedwig Müller: ''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 ...
. Leben und Werk der großen Tänzerin''. Hrsg. von der Akademie der Künste Berlin. Beltz/Quadriga, Weinheim/Berlin 1992.
* Hedwig Müller, Frank-Manuel Peter, Garnet Schuldt: ''Dore Hoyer. Tänzerin.'' Hentrich, Berlin 1992.
References
{{Authority control 20th-century dance Expressionism Modern dance Dance in Germany