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 considered one of the most important figures in the history of modern dance . She became one of the most iconic figures of Weimar German culture and her work was hailed for bringing the deepest of existential experiences to the stage.
139-654: Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann was born in Hanover , Province of Hanover in the Kingdom of Prussia . Wiegmann was the daughter of a bicycle dealer. Already as a child, she was called Mary, "because the Hanoverians were once kings of England and the House of Welf pride never quite got over the decline of the Kingdom of Hanover to a Prussian province. Wigman spent her youth in Hanover, England,
278-776: A Mary Wigman Foundation ( Mary Wigman Stiftung ) in 2013. This is located at the German Dance Archive Cologne ( Deutsches Tanzarchiv Köln ), which also owns the rights of use for Mary Wigman's works. Since 1993, the Foundation for the Promotion of the Semperoper has honoured outstanding artists or ensembles who belong or belonged to the Saxon State Opera ( Sächsischen Staatsoper ) with the Mary Wigman Prize. The award
417-470: A certain amount of body control and physical gymnastics of movement, we project our minds into the dance and make our bodies express what we feel. Thus, the technique is submerged and made an unconscious undercurrent. Color, costume, music – all are consciously used only so far as they portray the emotion of the dance." To another interviewer, he described his role as that of "storyteller and painter." As his contribution to Ausdruckstanz swept Europe, his work
556-597: A constructive and formative force, as the guardian of racial values, and as a shield against the flood of confusing foreign postures alien to the German character and German stance”. Wigman and her colleagues’ modern dance styles were therefore deemed a means by which the German people could be shielded by outside influence and purified. A note from Ministerial Councilor von Keudell to the Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda also recognized Wigman's school as one of
695-412: A demanding spaciousness utilizing the whole stage." Georgi and Kreutzberg's programs consisted of solos by both performers interspersed with duets. The dances focused on an austere, streamlined modern aesthetic. Both were muscular, athletic dancers who enjoyed showing off their physical prowess and dexterity; both were prone to melancholy choreographic moods: Georgi to dionysian impulses and Kreutzberg to
834-471: A fan and follower of Kreutzberg's since his first U.S. appearances, was instrumental in rehabilitating his image after World War II, exonerating him as "a victim of circumstance." In an article for Time , Martin wrote, somewhat disingenuously, of the dancer's wartime record, "[Kreutzberg] danced a few recitals in his native Austria, but mainly he says, tried to keep out of sight: 'I just appeared, then disappeared.' Postwar, Kreutzberg maintained his status as
973-443: A folk ballet of sorts, with peasant-style polka dot costumes featuring bonnets and puffed sleeves; Promenade , set to music by Poulenc , a gender fluid number in which elegant, tapering hands and a demure attitude were prevalent; and Bolero , a dance of "fiery, forbidden desire" that played to sold-out houses, won long ovations from the audience and was lauded in the press. Bacchanale , music by Gian Francesco Malipiero , highlighted
1112-407: A former student of von Laban, on a grotesque pantomime, Robes, Pierre and Co. , which presented a man falling murderously in love with a shop window mannequin. It featured dance sequences accompanied by the sound of typewriters, gunshots and Kreutzberg himself singing a falsetto parody of a coloratura aria. Between 1929 and 1931, Kreutzberg and Georgi made four comprehensive tours of both Europe and
1251-645: A heightened sense of nationalism. This aspect of his work proved to his advantage since it mirrored the regime's core ideology. Kreutzberg reached the peak of his career during World War II. In September 1937, he was the featured dancer at German Art Week during the Paris International Exhibition. In 1939, he appeared at the Day of German Art in Munich. His performance schedule followed the advance of Nazi conquests and alliances. In May 1940, The Netherlands fell to
1390-621: A jungle house, and a show arena. The new Canadian-themed area, Yukon Bay, opened in 2010. In 2010 the Hanover Zoo had over 1.6 million visitors. There is also the Sea Life Centre Hanover , which is the first tropical aquarium in Germany. Another point of interest is the Old Town . In the centre are the large Marktkirche (Church St. Georgii et Jacobi , preaching venue of the bishop of
1529-569: A long time, the school on Bautzner Strasse in Dresden was a rehearsal stage for the Saxon State Opera in Dresden . When the school moved under the name Semper Zwei next to the opera house, the state capital of Dresden bought the property and in 2019 gave it to the association Villa Wigman for Dance ( Villa Wigman für Tanz e. V. ), which uses it as a rehearsal and performance centre for the independent dance scene. Wigman's most famous male student
SECTION 10
#17328632045131668-613: A member of the Militant League for German Culture ( Kampfbund für deutsche Kultur ) in 1933. Wigman took over the local group leadership of the "Department of gymnastics and dance" ( Fachschaft Gymnastik und Tanz ) in the National Socialist Teachers League in 1933–1934, but noted for example "Local group meeting – sickening!" in her diary. With Schicksalslied (1935) and Herbstliche Tänze (1937) further solo dances were created. The Nazi press had criticized some of
1807-826: A movement that wanted dance free of being subordinate to music. Wigman rarely danced to music not composed for her. It was often only danced to the accompaniment of gongs or drums and in rare cases without any music at all, which was particularly popular in intellectual circles. Wigman ceaselessly created and choreographed new solo dances, including Tänze der Nacht , Der Spuk , Vision (all 1920), Tanzrhythmen I and II , Tänze des Schweigens (all 1920–23), Die abendlichen Tänze (1924), Visionen (1925), Helle Schwingungen (1927), Schwingende Landschaft (1929) and Das Opfer (1931). Group dances were titled Die Feier I (1921), Die sieben Tänze des Lebens (1921), Szenen aus einem Tanzdrama (1923/24), Raumgesänge (1926), Die Feier II (1927/28) and Der Weg (1932). In 1930 Wigman worked at
1946-525: A nervous breakdown. Wigman performed this program again in Zürich in 1919 and later in Germany. Only the performances in Hamburg and Dresden brought her the big breakthrough. In 1920, Wigman was offered the post of ballet mistress at the Saxon State Opera in Dresden , but, after taking up residence in a hotel in Dresden and beginning to teach dance classes while awaiting her anticipated appointment, she learned that
2085-799: A new expressive dance school, the Mary Wigman Studio. In 1954 Wigman received the Schiller Prize of the City of Mannheim and in 1957 the Great Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany . In 1967 she closed her West Berlin studio and devoted herself to lecturing at home and abroad. Mary Wigman died in 1973. Her funerary urn was buried on 14 November of that year in the Wiegmann family grave at
2224-445: A population of about 3,850,000 and is the 8th largest metropolitan area in Germany. Hanover passed a population of 100,000 in 1875, and Hanover's population has grown since 1946, when Hanover became the capital of Lower Saxony state and it grew rapidly in 1950s and 60s due to West German Wirtschaftswunder . This also saw the growth of a large migrant population, drawn largely from Turkey , Greece and Italy . Hanover has also one of
2363-492: A population of about 540,000. It is the largest city in Lower Saxony and is the 13th largest city in Germany. The Hanover Region , a district that surrounds the city of Hanover and cities like Langenhagen , Garbsen and Laatzen has a population of about 1,160,000 and is the largest District (Landkreis) in Germany. Hanover metropolitan region , which includes also cities like Braunschweig , Hildesheim and Göttingen , has
2502-677: A pretext to stage a nationwide pogrom known as Kristallnacht (9 November 1938). On that day, the synagogue of Hanover, designed in 1870 by Edwin Oppler in neo-romantic style, was burnt by the Nazis. In September 1941, through the "Action Lauterbacher" plan, a ghettoisation of the remaining Hanoverian Jewish families began. Even before the Wannsee Conference , on 15 December 1941, the first Jews from Hanover were deported to Riga . A total of 2,400 people were deported, and very few survived. During
2641-462: A profound effect on Ausdruckstanz. Many dancers remained in Germany and collaborated with the Nazis; others went into exile due to their leftist politics and/or Jewish heritage. Kreutzberg was one of a handful of dancers who maintained a good relationship with the Ministry of Propaganda . He understood what role to play so he could continue dancing. In the 1920s and 1930s, Kreutzberg's productions took on
2780-510: A rare U.S. TV appearance in the 1960s, when he was featured in the dual roles of Drosselmeyer and the Snow King, in a heavily abridged West German-American production of The Nutcracker . It aired on CBS in 1965 and was repeated several times afterward, but was superseded in 1977 by the full-length Baryshnikov version. In 1955, he established a dance school in Bern, Switzerland. After retiring from
2919-548: A reminder of the persecution of the Jews in Hanover. After the war a large group of Orthodox Jewish survivors of the nearby Bergen-Belsen concentration camp settled in Hanover. There was also a camp for Sinti and Romani people (see Romani Holocaust ), and dozens of forced labour subcamps of the Stalag XI-B prisoner-of-war camp for Allied POWs. As an important railway and road junction and production centre, Hanover
SECTION 20
#17328632045133058-474: A source of conflict—the music, the musician, or the man... and precisely because they pursued such divergent ambitions that they could not long remain a dance couple." In 1931, they toured for the last time. Their best-known pieces included Fahnentanz , a quintessential mirror dance. The duo was costumed in vaguely Roman garb: centurion-like helmets, tunic/skirts and large capes, which they waved as flags in rapid, swirling motions. Hymnis , with music by Lully ,
3197-609: A strong impression on audiences, he maintained the signature look for the rest of his life. Don Morte also initiated the lifelong collaboration between Kreutzberg and Friedrich Wilckens , Kreutzberg's composer, piano accompanist and life partner. In 1927, theater director Max Reinhardt cast Kreutzberg in Salzburg productions of Turnadot and Jedermann and, later, as Puck for a New York production of A Midsummer Night's Dream (1929). When he returned to Hannover in 1928, Kreutzberg collaborated with Wilckens and Yvonne Georgi ,
3336-514: A two-part series Harald Kreutzberg : Part 1, Bilder und Tänze and Part 2, Die Kreis (also 1961). Kreutzberg's original dances are almost never performed, however at the 2012 American Dance Guild Festival, John Pennington offered a reconstruction of the 1927 solo Dances Before God . DanceLab Berlin premiered an homage, H.K. – Quintett , in 2015. The choreographers looked at three core questions from Kreutzberg's biography: "How does identity develop between individuality and uniformity? What do
3475-509: A weekly newscast shown in Dutch cinemas, included a four-minute clip of Kreutzberg walking on Scheveningen beach and dancing with two local girls (November 22, 1940). Signal , a Wehrmacht-funded Dutch newspaper, published a full-color photo of Kreutzberg as Till Eulenspiegel in the same year. While many gay male dancers continued careers under the National Socialist government, Kreutzberg
3614-536: Is a forest originally used for deer and other game for the king's table. The 282-metre-high (925 ft) Telemax communications tower, the tallest building in Lower Saxony and the highest television tower in northern Germany, lies in the district of Groß-Buchholz. Some other notable towers are the VW-Tower in the city centre and the old towers of the former middle-age defence belt: Döhrener Tower , Lister Tower and
3753-465: Is a forum for contemporary art. It features mostly exhibitions and projects of artists from Hanover. 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 forgotten by the 21st century, he
3892-466: Is a vice-president city of Mayors for Peace , an international mayoral organisation mobilising cities and citizens worldwide to abolish and eliminate nuclear weapons by 2020. Hanover has an oceanic climate ( Köppen : Cfb ) independent of the isotherm. Although the city is not on a coastal location, the predominant air masses are still from the ocean, unlike other places further east or south-central Germany. The Hanover weather station has recorded
4031-474: Is debated. Hanover was a small village of ferrymen and fishermen that became a comparatively large town in the 13th century and received town privileges in 1241 because of its position at a natural crossroads. As overland travel was relatively difficult, its position on the upper navigable reaches of the river helped it grow from increasing trade. It was connected to the Hanseatic League city of Bremen by
4170-814: Is headquarters for several Protestant organizations, including the World Communion of Reformed Churches , the Protestant Church in Germany , the Reformed Alliance , the United Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany , and the Independent Evangelical-Lutheran Church . In 2015, 31.1% of the population were Protestant and 13.4% were Roman Catholic . The majority 55.5% were irreligious or other religion. The Historisches Museum Hanover (Historic museum) describes
4309-753: Is more inspiring to see him merely walk upon the stage with his singularly lithe and detached movement than to witness a whole evening's performance by the average male dancer. Mr. Kreutzberg combines a grave and incisive intelligence with a powerful gift of projection, a clear vision with a lively imagination, and all of these with a splendid physique and a technical facility which is actually lustrous." Portraits of Kreutzberg and Georgi, together and alone, were printed on cigarette cards distributed as part of Cigarettenfabrik Orami's "Famous Dancers (Series E)" cards. Anna Pavlova , Josephine Baker , Mary Wigman, Rudolf von Laban, Anton Dolin and Ted Shawn were also in this collection. After touring with Georgi, Kreutzberg
Mary Wigman - Misplaced Pages Continue
4448-418: Is placed on film, video, contemporary music and architecture, room installments and presentations of contemporary paintings, sculptures and video art. The Kestner-Museum is located in the House of 5,000 windows . The museum is named after August Kestner and exhibits 6,000 years of applied art in four areas: Ancient cultures, ancient Egypt, applied art and a valuable collection of historic coins. The KUBUS
4587-424: Is presented annually at a gala – the foundation's prizewinners' concert. The first prize winner in 1993 was Stephan Thoss [ de ] . The prize was not awarded from 2006 to 2012. Hanover Hanover ( / ˈ h æ n oʊ v ər , - n ə v -/ , HAN -oh-vər, HAN -ə-vər ; German : Hannover [haˈnoːfɐ] ; Low German : Hannober ) is the capital and largest city of
4726-741: Is the largest in the Hanover–Braunschweig–Göttingen–Wolfsburg Metropolitan Region , the 17th biggest metropolitan area by GDP in the European Union . Before it became the capital of Lower Saxony in 1946, Hanover was the capital of the Principality of Calenberg (1636–1692), the Electorate of Hanover (1692–1814), the Kingdom of Hanover (1814–1866), the Province of Hanover of the Kingdom of Prussia (1868–1918),
4865-1127: The Anzeiger Tower Block , the Administration Building of the NORD/LB , the Cupola Hall of the Congress Centre, the Lower Saxony Stock , the Ministry of Finance , the Garten Church , the Luther Church , the Gehry Tower (designed by the American architect Frank O. Gehry ), the specially designed Bus Stops , the Opera House , the Hanover Central Station , the Maschsee lake and
5004-518: The Battle of Waterloo in 1815. In 1814 the electorate became the Kingdom of Hanover . In 1837, the personal union of the United Kingdom and Hanover ended because William IV 's heir in the United Kingdom was female ( Queen Victoria ). Hanover could be inherited only by male heirs. Thus, Hanover passed to William IV's brother, Ernest Augustus , and remained a kingdom until 1866, when it was annexed by
5143-665: The Chicago Grand Opera Company for the 1934–35 season. In addition, her partnership with Chicago-based ballet dancer Bentley Stone had become more satisfying. After 1936, as increasing numbers of American artists broke ties with those working in Nazi Germany, it became untenable for Page to continue touring with the German artist. In 1939, the German government revoked Kreutzberg's travel privileges; all scheduled appearances were canceled. Nonetheless, Kreutzberg and Page remained friends, corresponding frequently from 1939 through
5282-515: The German state of Lower Saxony . Its 535,932 (2021) population makes it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in northern Germany after Berlin , Hamburg and Bremen . Hanover's urban area comprises the towns of Garbsen , Langenhagen and Laatzen and has a population of about 791,000 (2018). The Hanover Region has approximately 1.16 million inhabitants (2019) and
5421-584: The Hanover Medical School ( Medizinische Hochschule Hannover ), one of Germany's leading medical schools , with its university hospital Klinikum der Medizinischen Hochschule Hannover , and the Leibniz University Hanover . The city is also home to International Neuroscience Institute . The Hanover Fairground , owing to numerous extensions, especially for the Expo 2000 , is the largest in
5560-732: The Hanoverian Army . However, George III did not recognise the Convention of the Elbe, which resulted in a great number of soldiers from Hanover eventually emigrating to Great Britain, where the King's German Legion was formed. It was only troops from Hanover and Brunswick who consistently opposed France throughout the Napoleonic Wars. The Legion later played an important role in the Peninsular War and
5699-616: The Holy Roman Emperor to the rank of Prince-Elector in 1692, which was confirmed by the Imperial Diet in 1708. Thus, the principality was upgraded to the Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg , colloquially known as the Electorate of Hanover after Calenberg's capital (see also House of Hanover ). Its electors later became monarchs of Great Britain (and from 1801 of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland ). The first of them
Mary Wigman - Misplaced Pages Continue
5838-656: The Horse Tower . The 36 most significant sights of the city centre are connected by a 4.2-kilometre-long (3 mi) walking trail called the Red Thread that is literally painted onto the pavement with red paint. It starts at the Tourist Information Office and ends on the Ernst-August-Square, both in front of the central train station. There is also a guided sightseeing bus tour through the city. Hanover has
5977-623: The Ihme , in the south of the North German Plain . The city is a major crossing point of railway lines and motorways ( Autobahnen ), connecting European main lines in both the east–west ( Berlin – Ruhr area / Düsseldorf / Cologne ) and north–south (Hamburg– Frankfurt / Stuttgart / Munich ) directions. Hanover Airport lies north of the city, in Langenhagen , and is Germany's ninth-busiest airport. The city's most notable institutes of higher education are
6116-622: The Low Countries and Saxony or Thuringia . In the 14th century, the main churches of Hanover were built, as well as a city wall with three city gates. The beginning of industrialization in Germany led to trade in iron and silver from the northern Harz Mountains , which increased the city's importance. In 1636 George, Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg , ruler of the Brunswick-Lüneburg principality of Calenberg , moved his residence to Hanover. The Dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg were elevated by
6255-467: The National Socialists in 1933 had an immediate effect on Wigman's school through the new law against racial overcrowding in German schools and universities of 25 April 1933 ( Gesetz gegen die Überfüllung deutscher Schulen und Hochschulen [ de ] ). Wigman initially obtained an exemption by allowing her "5% pupils of non- Aryan descent" for the course from September 1933. However, in
6394-563: The Ostfriedhof in Essen , Germany. Wigman gave her first public performance in Munich in February 1914, performing two of her own dances, including one called Lento and the first version of Hexentanz (Witch Dance), which later became one of her most important works. While recovering from her nervous breakdown, in 1918, Wigman wrote the choreography for her first group composition, Die sieben Tänze des Lebens (The Seven Dances of Life), which premiered several years later, in 1921. After that her career and influence began in earnest. In 1925
6533-440: The Paradies and the Prairie Garden . The Georgengarten is an English landscape garden. The Leibniz Temple and the Georgen Palace are two points of interest there. The landmark of Hanover is the New Town Hall ( Neues Rathaus ). Inside the building are four scale models of the city. An elevator ascends to the observation deck at the top of the large dome along a variable angle of up to 17 degrees, thought to be unique in
6672-428: The Province of Hanover of the Free State of Prussia (1918–1947) and of the State of Hanover (1946). From 1714 to 1837 Hanover was by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland , under their title of the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg (later described as the Elector of Hanover ). The city lies at the confluence of the River Leine and its tributary
6811-415: The Prussia during the Austro-Prussian war . Though Hanover was expected to defeat Prussia at the Battle of Langensalza in 1866, Prussia employed Moltke the Elder's Kesselschlacht order of battle to and destroyed the Hanoverian Army. Thereafter the city of Hanover became the capital of the Prussian Province of Hanover . In 1872, the first horse railway was inaugurated, and in 1893, an electric tram
6950-436: The Rudolf von Laban School for Art ( Schule für Kunst ) on Monte Verità in the Swiss canton of Ticino . Laban was significantly involved in the development of modern expressive dance ( Labanotation ). She enrolled in one of Laban's summer courses and was instructed in his technique. Following their lead, she worked on a technique based on contrasts of movement; expansion and contraction, pulling and pushing. She continued with
7089-505: The Seven Years' War , the Battle of Hastenbeck was fought near the city on 26 July 1757. The French army defeated the Hanoverian Army of Observation , which led to the city's occupation as part of the Invasion of Hanover . It was recaptured by Anglo-German forces, led by Ferdinand of Brunswick , the following year. After Napoleon imposed the Convention of Artlenburg (treaty of the Elbe) on 5 July 1803, about 35,000 French soldiers occupied Hanover. The convention also required disbanding
SECTION 50
#17328632045137228-441: The Studebaker Theater in Chicago. Each danced two or three solos, then performed a duet together, a format similar to the one Kreutzberg and Georgi had used. He retained his usual repertoire of solos and refashioned his dances with Georgi to fit Page. Their U.S. tour in 1933 was so successful, they repeated it the following year, then continued on to Japan and China in 1934. Among their most popular offerings were Country Dance ,
7367-412: The 1934 dances by Wigman and other choreographers, for being insufficiently or unimpressively German, the 1935 Rogge and Wernicke works were lauded as appropriate examples of "heroic" German bodily movement, but Goebbels apparently disliked Amazonen for being too Greek in its iconography. In 1936 Wigman choreographed the Totenklage with a group of 80 dancers for the Olympic Youth Festival to mark
7506-471: The Academy of Applied Art in Dresden; he was reportedly an excellent draftsman. From an early age, Kreutzberg was also interested in costuming and style. During the years of hyperinflation in the Weimer Republic , he assisted with family finances by designing women's clothing for a local department store. In 1920, he performed a "hashish dance" at a student carnival. The piece was so well received, he decided to enroll in dance classes. Kreutzberg trained at
7645-449: The Dresden Ballet School and studied with the founders of Ausdruckstanz, Mary Wigman and Rudolf von Laban . The Ausdruckstanz phenomenon of the early to mid-20th century flourished in German-speaking Europe. It grew out of the Lebensreform (life reform) movement which promoted physical culture, among other healthy practices, as a means of rejecting the industrialization, materialism and urbanization of modern life. In 1923, he accepted
7784-467: The German (am) hohen Ufer , literally 'on the high (river) bank'. Traditionally, the English spelling is ⟨ Hanover ⟩ . However, ⟨ Hannover ⟩ , the German spelling with a double- ⟨n⟩ , has become more popular in English. Recent editions of Encyclopædia Britannica prefer the German spelling, and the local government uses the German spelling on their English webpages. The English pronunciation, with stress on
7923-449: The Germans' performance. Olympic medals were awarded to both Kreutzberg's and Wigman's troupes. None of this spectacle appears in Leni Riefenstahl 's documentary masterpiece Olympia , because she and her cameramen did not think they had enough light to shoot the scene. In 1943, when Germany seemed certain to lose the war, Kreutzberg appeared as Der Gaulker (The Juggler) Fliegenbein in G. W. Pabst 's propaganda film Paracelsus . In
8062-412: The International Olympic Committee in Germany sent invitations to the world's most notable dancers to take part in an international dance competition. Recently-appointed German Master of the Studio for Dance, von Laban organized and coordinated the event. Kreutzberg and Wigman were charged with assisting him. All three were to choreograph pieces that conformed to and celebrated Nazi ideology. After seeing
8201-790: The Italian financier Riccardo Gualino invited Wigman to Turin to perform in his private theatre and in his newly opened Teatro di Torino . She had several years' success on the concert stage. Wigman's dances were often accompanied by world music and non-Western instrumentation, such as fifes and primarily percussion, bells , including the gongs and drums from India, Thailand, Africa, and China, contrasted with silence. In later years, she used composers' talents to create music to accompany her choreography, and many choreographers began to use this tactic. She would often employ masks in her pieces, influenced again by non-western/tribal dance. She did not use typical costumes associated with ballet. The subject matters included in her pieces were heavy, such as
8340-540: The Laban school through the Swiss summer sessions and the Munich winter sessions until 1919. In Munich , Wigman showed her first public dances Hexentanz I , Lento and Ein Elfentanz . During the First World War she stayed in Switzerland with Laban as his assistant and taught in Zürich and Ascona . In 1917 Wigman offered three different programs in Zürich, including Der Tänzer unserer lieben Frau , Das Opfer , Tempeltanz , Götzendienst and four Hungarian dances according to Johannes Brahms . In 1918, Wigman suffered
8479-413: The Leine River and was situated near the southern edge of the wide North German Plain and northwest of the Harz mountains, so east–west traffic such as mule trains passed through it. Hanover was thus a gateway to the Rhine , Ruhr and Saar river valleys, and their industrial areas which grew up to the southwest and the plains regions to the east and north for overland traffic skirting the Harz between
SECTION 60
#17328632045138618-404: The Lutheran Landeskirche Hanovers ), and the 15th century Old Town Hall , heavily damaged by Allied bombing in 1943, and reconstructed after World War II. Nearby are the Leibniz House , the Nolte House , and the Beguine Tower . The Kreuz-Church-Quarter around the Kreuz Church contains many little lanes. Nearby is the old royal sports hall, now called the Ballhof theatre. On the edge of
8757-584: The Munich Dancers' Congress as a choreographer and dancer in the choir work Das Totenmal created by Albert Talhoff [ de ] in honour of the dead of World War I. By 1927, Wigman had 360 students in Dresden alone, and more than 1,200 students were taught at branches operated by former students in Berlin, Frankfurt, Chemnitz, Riesa, Hamburg, Leipzig, Erfurt, Magdeburg, Munich, and Freiburg, including from 1931 one in New York City by former student Hanya Holm . The engineer and Siemens manager Hanns Benkert [ de ] helped Wigman part-time with
8896-412: The Nazi position”. Yet, despite Wigman's personal attitudes toward the Nazi Party, her work undoubtedly coexisted and even fit within Nazi ideals of Aryan freedom, community, and identity. After 1945 Wigman began again with a Leipzig school and in 1947 staged a sensational performance of Orfeo ed Euridice with her pupils at the Leipzig Opera. In 1949 Wigman settled in West Berlin , where she founded
9035-490: The Netherlands and Lausanne. Wigman came to dance comparatively late after seeing three students of Émile Jaques-Dalcroze , who aimed to approach music through movement using three equally important elements: solfège , improvisation and his own system of movements— Dalcroze eurhythmics . Wigman studied rhythmic gymnastics in Hellerau from 1910 to 1911 with Émile Jaques-Dalcroze and Suzanne Perrottet , but felt artistically dissatisfied there: Like Suzanne Perrottet, Mary Wigman
9174-418: The Old Town are the Market Hall , the Leine Palace , and the ruin of the Aegidien Church which is now a monument to the victims of war and violence. Through the Marstall Gate the bank of the river Leine can be reached; the Nanas of Niki de Saint Phalle are there. They are part of the Sculpture Mile , which starts at Trammplatz , runs along the river bank, crosses Königsworther Square , and ends at
9313-452: The Propaganda Ministry in the Federal Archives “embody an ideology to which dance became subject,” as Ausdruckstanz, or the new German Dance, arose as a widely accepted art form due to Nazi leaders’ beliefs that dance would benefit the movement. Document 4 in Kant's work features a letter from Fritz Böhme to Goebbels, which articulates how the “German artistic dance ... must not be allowed to be neglected as an art form” and must “function... as
9452-428: The Reich; in July of that year, he gave recitals at the Kurhaus Kurzaal Theater in The Hague. In her book Hitler's Dancers , author Marion Kant refers to Kreutzberg as "the dancing ambassador of National Socialist Germany." In 1941, the performance pattern of the previous year was repeated. In the summer, Kreutzberg performed at the Kurhaus; in autumn, a tour was organized on his behalf. The 1943 shows were held under
9591-520: The Republic,” which Manning claims was instrumental in “bringing Volkish thought into the mainstream of Weimar politics”. Modern dance therefore became a hallmark of German unification, with Wigman's art heading the establishment of Volkish communities through dance. Whether Wigman's contributions to Nazism and its rise were intentional or unintentional is a matter of dispute, as Manning recognizes that “Mary Wigman could [have]... opposed Nazi cultural policy, without recognizing that her own belief... reinforced
9730-433: The Spartans' sacrifice at Thermopylae ), "The country's greatest gift – to die willingly for it when necessary," was suggested by the Games' organizer Carl Diem . Kreutzberg's portion of the extravaganza, called Waffentanz (Weapons Dance) or, alternatively, Swerttanz (Sword Dance), was more a theatrical representation than a dance. It began with 60 young men, representing two opposing, sword-wielding phalanxes, storming
9869-499: The Tanzgemeinschaft (‘dance community’) with the fascist ideal of Volksgemeinschaft (‘ethnic community’)”. German dance environments therefore indirectly supported budding Nazi communities. Manning cites another work by Kant, “Death and the Maiden: Mary Wigman in the Weimar Republic,” in which Kant examines many writings by Wigman in the early years of the rise of Nazism in Germany. Here, Wigman seemed to express support for “the conservative and right-wing nationalists... who would bring down
10008-570: The U.S., where they appeared on both coasts and throughout the Midwest, possibly as the most profitable modern dance act in U.S. history. Their enormously popular performances introduced Ausdruckstanz to a widespread audience that delighted in their artistry. Eyewitnesses to the productions were overwhelmed by Kreutzberg's charisma, he "added a theatricality that we did not have at this time," said one. Another recalled "his dramatic quality and terrific intensity…on stage he appeared seven foot tall, and he had
10147-424: The United Kingdom, were concurrently also Electoral Princes of Hanover. During the time of the personal union of the crowns of the United Kingdom and Hanover (1714–1837), the monarchs rarely visited the city. In fact during the reigns of the last three joint rulers (1760–1837), there was only one short visit, by George IV in 1821. From 1816 to 1837, Viceroy Adolphus represented the monarch in Hanover. During
10286-587: The United States is credited to her protegee Hanya Holm , and then to Holm's students Alwin Nikolais and Joan Woodbury . Another student and protegee of Wigman, Margret Dietz, taught in America from 1953 to 1972. During this time, Wigman's style was characterized by critics as "tense, introspective, and sombre," yet there was always an element of "radiance found even in her darkest compositions." The seizure of power by
10425-511: The administration of this large organization and also became her life partner between 1930 and 1941. Wigman has been photographed dancing and in portraits by many well-known photographers, including Hugo Erfurth , Charlotte Rudolph [ de ] , Albert Renger-Patzsch and Siegfried Enkelmann . The commemorative stamp of the German Federal Post shown here is based on a photo by Albert Renger-Patzsch. Ernst Ludwig Kirchner created
10564-458: The art historian Fritz Wichert , Wilhelm Worringer and Wilhelm Pinder [ de ] and Privy Councilor Erich Lexer , a surgeon. It only existed for a few years. The Mary Wigman Gesellschaft e. V. , which has been committed to the history and future of modern dance for decades, published the Tanzdrama (Dance Drama) magazine and organized a number of symposia, which was converted into
10703-594: The auspices of the German Theater in The Netherlands. From 1942 to 1944 opera, dance and music concerts were organized in different Dutch cities, intended for members of the Wehrmacht . Members of the general public were welcome to attend and critics to write reviews in the press. News of Kreutzberg's recitals were deployed in different media for propaganda purposes. In The Netherlands, for example, Polygoon Journaal ,
10842-516: The ballet Die Nächtlichen. The role was meant to depict a sinister, dissonant evocation of demonic forces. Terpis' next production was Don Morte , a version of Edgar Allen Poe 's story The Masque of the Red Death . For this piece, Kreutzberg danced the role of an eccentric jester, wearing a gold costume and mask with bald head. The opera costume shop had trouble making a bald wig, so Kreutzberg shaved off all of his blond hair. His appearance made such
10981-452: The best ballet ever put on celluloid." His movements are defined by ambiguity and disorder. He advances, then retreats, slowly hopping, at first, then stiffly marching, eyes glazed, slapping thighs, hips and shoulders. He leads, but does not acknowledge, the mesmerized tavern patrons who follow his display of confused distress and an energy that swings between manic and sickly. The scene evokes historical 16th century "dance epidemics" in which
11120-509: The border with thousands of other Polish-Jewish deportees, fed only intermittently by the Polish Red Cross and Jewish welfare organisations. The Grynszpans' son Herschel Grynszpan was in Paris at the time. When he learned of what was happening, he drove to the German embassy in Paris and shot the German diplomat Eduard Ernst vom Rath , who died shortly afterwards. The Nazis took this act as
11259-469: The city alongside the mayor. The most recent city council election was held on 12 September 2021, and the results were as follows: There are around 5,500 buildings of major historic value within city limits. One of Hanover's most grandiose sights is the Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen . Its Great Garden is an important European Baroque garden . The palace itself was largely destroyed by Allied bombing, but
11398-653: The city forest Eilenriede , which is one of the largest of its kind in Europe. For recreation, Hanover has 40 parks, forests and gardens, a couple of lakes, two rivers and a canal. The historic Leibniz Letters , which can be viewed in the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Library , have been on UNESCO 's Memory of the World Register since 2007. Outside the city centre is the Hanover Fairground , which
11537-464: The city on 10 April 1945. Hanover was in the British zone of occupation of Germany and became part of the new state (Land) of Lower Saxony in 1946. In 1947, Hanover established its relationship with Bristol, England in exchanges of goods, students and music. This would link the two cities to Sister Cities International as one of the models for establishing these types of programs. Today Hanover
11676-448: The comedic Potpourri , they wore polka dot costumes and clowned around on stage with pianist, Wilckens, interrupting his efforts to start the music by hovering over him and striking their own dissonant chords. They snatched up sticks and cavorted with them like children, until Wilckens, exasperated, crept away with the music, compelling the dancers to follow him offstage. In the U.S., critics praised Georgi, but gushed over Kreutzberg, "It
11815-468: The course of the following years, a number of Wigman's students were forced to emigrate, such as the Jewish Berlin prima ballerina Ruth Abramovitsch Sorel and member of Wigman's dance company Pola Nirenska , whom Wigman had organized to perform at a school audition in 1935 and teacher for a summer course, whereupon Wigman was accused of "friendliness toward Jews" in 1935 and 1937. The Wigman school became
11954-571: The death and desperation that surrounded the war. However, she did not choreograph to represent the happenings of the war; she danced to outwardly convey the feelings that people were experiencing in this hard time. Wigman's former student Katharine Sehnert still teaches dance technique and improvisation based on the Wigman style. In Dresden , a street in the Seevorstadt and near Dresden Hauptbahnhof , which had previously been named after Anton Saefkow ,
12093-523: The doyen of German modern dance. He was the first German artist to go on foreign tours, performing in the U.S., South America and Israel in 1948. Choreographer George Balanchine and writer Lincoln Kirstein invited him to share a program with the New York City Ballet in the late 1940s. He toured through Switzerland, France, Scandinavia. Austria, Hungary and The Netherlands every other year (1950, 1952 and 1954). His last performance in The Netherlands
12232-509: The dress rehearsal of Laban's work, Vom Tauwind und der neuen Freunde (Spring Wind and New Joy), Goebbels rejected it on the grounds it was "a poorly choreographed piece, one that was intellectual, and had nothing whatever to do with Germans." Kreutzberg's dance, set to music by Werner Egk , apparently set the proper tone. The performance took place in the stadium's center under a "temple of light," an effect produced by massed searchlights under Albert Speer 's direction. The theme (an allusion to
12371-1049: The entrance of the Georgengarten . Near the Old Town is the district of Calenberger Neustadt where the Catholic St. Clement's Basilica , the Reformed Church and the Lutheran Neustädter Hof- und Stadtkirche St. Johannis stand. Some other popular sights are the Waterloo Column , the Laves House , the Wangenheim Palace , the Lower Saxony State Archives , the Hanover Playhouse , the Kröpcke Clock ,
12510-623: The experimental, advant garde facet of their collaboration. The austere, Futurist -inspired work was characterized by repeated falls, off-kilter weight distribution and unusual supports. The couple sometimes danced back to back with arms interlaced. Page wore a black dress, Kreutzberg a black shirt and pants. Both wore black elastic bands around their arms and white elastic bands crisscrossing their faces and looping around their necks and heads. The pair's partnership ultimately dissolved. Kreutzberg may have felt he could best showcase his talents in one-man shows. Page had been appointed ballet director for
12649-681: The fairground are the Hermes Tower (88.8 metres or 291 feet high) and the EXPO Roof , the largest wooden roof in the world. In the district of Anderten is the European Cheese Centre , termed a "Cheese Experience Centre." Another tourist sight in Anderten is the Hindenburg Lock , which was the biggest lock in Europe when it was constructed in 1928. The Tiergarten in the district of Kirchrode
12788-463: The fall of Weimar Germany to Nazism , Wigman's contributions to modern dance existed within the umbrella of Nazism and the rejection of structured dance (ballet) in favour of “freer” movements. Marion Kant writes in “Dance is a Race Question: The Dance politics of the Reich Ministry of Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda” that Wigman's dance style became a means through which Nazi ideologies were propagated. Describing Nazi perceptions of art, records of
12927-476: The first Deutsche Tanzfestspiele in 1934. It became an annual event through the Berlin Olympics. For Nazi Germany, the games were a perfect opportunity to showcase official ideology and demonstrate national strength. The inclusion of dance, as well as other new events, was solicited by the organizers as a means to include areas in which Germany was strong. None of the proposed inclusions were approved, however,
13066-564: The first syllable, is applied to both the German and English spellings, which is different from German pronunciation, with stress on the second syllable and a long second vowel. The traditional English spelling is still used in historical contexts, especially when referring to the British House of Hanover . Hanover was founded in medieval times on the east bank of the Leine River. Its original name Honovere may mean 'high river bank', but that
13205-438: The floor embracing and covered with a veil. Kreutzberg and Georgi's 1931 Berlin performance, to Gustav Holst 's The Planets , was one of the largest pair concerts ever staged. The piece employed a monumental abstract set consisting of a row of dark, cave-like entrances from which emerged spiraling ramps and towering, slanting walls. Though often separated in space, the couple remained united through complementary movement. In
13344-425: The following extreme values: The city of Hanover is divided into 13 boroughs ( Stadtbezirke ) and 53 quarters ( Stadtteile ). A selection of the 53 quarters: The current mayor of Hanover is Belit Onay of Alliance 90/The Greens , elected in 2019. The most recent mayoral election was held on 17 October 2019, with a runoff held on 10 November, and the results were as follows: The Hanover city council governs
13483-569: The grotesque, demonic and macabre. The dances highlighted mirror or echo effects, such as complementary patterns or reciprocities of movement. They never presented man and woman in conflict or created tension through competing configurations of bodily rhythm. The pieces tended toward the elegiac and ceremonial; they seemed to express a virtuosic, synchronized cheerfulness rather than a stirring or triumphant happiness. In Empire of Ecstasy , author Karl Toepfer posits that they exhibited "reluctance to build dramatic tension between each other in relation to
13622-467: The history of Hanover, from the medieval settlement "Honovere" to the city of today. The museum focuses on the period from 1714 to 1834 when Hanover had a strong relationship with the British royal family of that period. With more than 4,000 members, the Kestnergesellschaft is the largest art society in Germany. The museum hosts exhibitions from classical modernist art to contemporary art. Emphasis
13761-514: The inventive garments: the rope noose wrapped around his calf for Hangman's Dance on the Grave of His Victim, the futuristic cage-like headgear worn in the King's Dance , and the string line drawing on his jacket in Three Hungarian Dances . Kreutzberg performed solos in the U.S. in the early 30s, and again in 1937, 1947, 1948 and 1953. The New York Times dance critic John Martin , who was
13900-655: The invitation of Max Terpis , a former Wigman student, to dance in Hannover where Terpis directed the Municipal Opera Ballet. Dancing with a large ensemble made Kreutzberg somewhat uncomfortable. Sensing this and recognizing his gift for acting, the opera director cast him in small, yet unforgettable, character roles. When Terpis accepted the position of ballet director for the Berlin State Opera , he took Kreutzberg with him. In 1926, Kreutzberg appeared as Fear in
14039-573: The largest Vietnamese communities in former West Germany due to its close distance to former East Germany . The Viên Giác pagoda in Mittelfeld, southern district of Hanover is the largest Vietnamese pagoda in Germany and one of the largest in Europe. Hanover is one of the liveable cities due to its good location and good population size. It is the fifth-largest city in the Low German dialect area after Hamburg, Dortmund , Essen and Bremen. Hanover
14178-440: The most important attribute of the dancer's persona. Taussig attempts to capture, in a few broad strokes, an image of muscularity, emotional turbulence and rapturous action: leaping, running and twisting with arms spread, thrusting or propelling. He was the subject of three documentaries made for German television: the short Große Tänzer (1955), a full-length documentary Harald Kreutzberg – Errinerungen eines Tänzers (1961) and
14317-790: The most varied collection of orchids in Europe. Some points of interest are the Tropical House , the Cactus House , the Canary House and the Orchid House , and free-flying birds and butterflies. Near the entrance to the Berggarten is the historic Library Pavillon . The Mausoleum of the Guelphs is also in the Berggarten. Like the Great Garden, the Berggarten also consists of several parts, for example
14456-573: The old schools of dance in Dresden would emerge, later especially with former students and teachers of the Palucca School of Dance . From 1921 the first performances took place with Wigman's dance group. Film recordings of the dance group made in 1923 in the Berlin Botanical Garden with excerpts from Szenen aus einem Tanzdrama were used in the 1925 German cultural silent film Ways to Strength and Beauty ( Wege zu Kraft und Schönheit ). For
14595-513: The opening of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. In 1942 Wigman sold her school in Dresden. She received a guest teaching contract at the dance department of the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig , where the concert pianist Heinz K. Urban accompanied her as a répétiteur . In the same year, Wigman appeared for the last time as a solo dancer with Abschied und Dank (Farewell and Thanks). Amidst
14734-573: The painting Totentanz der Mary Wigman (Mary Wigman's Dance of Death) in the mid-1920s. Wigman toured the United States in 1930 with her dance company, and again in 1931 and 1933. A Wigman school was founded by her disciples in New York City in 1931 and her work through dance and movement contributed as a gateway for social change with the New Dance Group in the 1930s, this group was started by students from Wigman's New York school. Wigman's work in
14873-647: The pairing of an American ballet dancer with an exponent of German modern dance seemed an unlikely collaboration, but the arrangement provided both artists with a number of advantages. Page, who lived in Chicago outside the dance mecca of New York, acquired a modernist, cosmopolitan aura as well as the musical support of Wilckens. Kreutzberg gained access to new performance venues and an escape from rising fascism and homophobic militancy at home. Both dancers capitalized on their contrasting, yet complimentary, personas. They performed their first joint concert on February 25, 1933, at
15012-505: The participants are swept up in a frenzied, mimetic fever. In 1944, Kreutzberg was drafted into the German Army, but Americans soon captured him on the Italian front. He spent two and half months in a prisoner of war camp. In a letter to a friend, he wrote he had a "good time," there, performing scenes from A Midsummer Night's Dream and playing Mephisto in selections from Faust . When he
15151-399: The position had been awarded to someone else. In the same year, Wigman together with her assistant Bertha Trümpy, opened a school for modern dance on Bautzner Strasse in Dresden. During Wigman's time in Dresden, Wigman had contacts with the city's lively art scene, for example with the German expressionist painter Ernst Ludwig Kirchner . Rivalry and competition between Wigman's new school and
15290-467: The postwar years. Page remembered her years with Kreutzberg as the happiest time in her life. "Dancing with Kreutzberg was like dancing with a disembodied spirit – the spirit of dance itself." Along with Anna Pavlova , she regarded, Kreutzberg as one of the "greatest influences" on her career. Page wrote Kreutzberg's eulogy, published in Dance Magazine in 1968. The rise of National Socialism had
15429-412: The stadium like a "wild horde" ( New Prussian Newspaper , 1936) and shouting hostile cries. A mock battle ensued, resulting in the fall of one phalanx and a triumphant celebration by the other. The fallen troops remained in the field while the winners departed celebrating their victory. Kreutzberg's solo followed, ending with the dancer's heroic death by sword. Wigman's Totenklage (Death Lament) concluded
15568-505: The stage in 1959, he choreographed for others and continued to teach until his death on April 25, 1968. Some of Kreutzberg's best-known solos are listed below, notes on music, costumes and critical reception are included where known. Early in his career, Kreutzberg aligned himself to an expressionistic approach to dance. He remained faithful to that aesthetic until the end of his life. That devotion, however, always accommodated his acute awareness of what pleased audiences. In that regard, he
15707-422: The story, Paracelsus (as a stand-in for Hitler) keeps the plague out of Basel by barring entry to the city. During an attempt by a greedy merchant to smuggle in goods, Fliegenbein, attached to the caravan, slips inside the city walls. Already infected, he escapes to a nearby tavern. In a brief (approximately 65 second), brilliantly-choreographed, hypnotic Totentanz , Kreutzberg performs a sequence that "ranks with
15846-696: The tank factory M.N.H. Maschinenfabrik Niedersachsen (Badenstedt). Residential areas were also targeted, and more than 6,000 civilians were killed by the Allied bombing raids. More than 90% of the city centre was destroyed in a total of 88 bombing raids. After the war, the Aegidienkirche was not rebuilt and its ruins were left as a war memorial. Today around 25 % of the city consists of buildings from before 1950. The Allied ground advance into Germany reached Hanover in April 1945. The US 84th Infantry Division captured
15985-438: The tragic allegory of The Angel Lucifer to the comic grotesquerie of The Wedding Bouquet . Even in his most serious performances, Kreutzberg cultivated the image of a jester, a medieval fool or demonic acrobat. His distinctive choreography combined free dance movements with elements of theater such as mime and pictorial costuming. Similarly to Martha Graham , he created most of his costumes. There are numerous photographs of
16124-516: The war seven concentration camps were constructed in Hanover, in which many Jews were confined, but also Polish , French and Russian women. Of the approximately 4,800 Jews who had lived in Hanover in 1938, fewer than 100 were still in the city when troops of the United States Army arrived on 10 April 1945 to occupy Hanover at the end of the war. Today, a memorial at the Opera Square is
16263-463: The world. The Hanover Zoo received the Park Scout Award for the fourth year running in 2009–10, placing it among the best zoos in Germany. The zoo consists of several theme areas: Sambesi, Meyers Farm, Gorilla-Mountain, Jungle-Palace, and Mullewapp. Some smaller areas are Australia, the wooded area for wolves, and the so-called swimming area with many seabirds. There is also a tropical house,
16402-571: The world. It provides 496,000 square metres (5.34 million square feet) of covered indoor space, 58,000 square metres (620 thousand square feet) of open-air space, 27 halls and pavilions. Many of the Exhibition Centre's halls are architectural highlights. Furthermore, it offers the Convention Center with its 35 function rooms, glassed-in areas between halls, grassy park-like recreation zones and its own heliport. Two important sights on
16541-637: The world. Hanover hosts annual commercial trade fairs such as the Hanover Fair and up to 2018 the CeBIT . The IAA Commercial Vehicles show takes place every two years. It is the world's leading trade show for transport, logistics and mobility. Every year Hanover hosts the Schützenfest Hanover , the world's largest marksmen's festival, and the Oktoberfest Hanover . The name of the city may derive from
16680-585: The “four model schools of German art dance”. Ultimately, these records reveal how Wigman's work fit into the narrative of Nazism and how the fall of the Weimar Republic allowed for Wigman's success, yielding to the acceptance of “free” dance as Nazi propaganda. Wigman's work also contributed to dance as a gateway for fascist community-building. Susan Manning writes in “Modern Dance in the Third Reich, Redux” that “modern dancers conflated and confused their ideal of
16819-521: Was George I Louis , who acceded to the British throne in 1714. The last British monarch who reigned in Hanover was William IV . Semi-Salic law , which required succession by the male line if possible, forbade the accession of Queen Victoria in Hanover. As a male-line descendant of George I, Queen Victoria was herself a member of the House of Hanover. Her descendants, however, bore her husband's titular name of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha . Three kings of Great Britain, or
16958-451: Was Harald Kreutzberg , but there was also Ernest Berk who worked in the UK from 1934 until the mid-1980s. Famous students included Gret Palucca , Hanya Holm , Yvonne Georgi , Margherita Wallmann , Lotte Goslar , Birgit Åkesson , Sonia Revid , and Hanna Berger . Dore Hoyer , who further developed the expressive dance of Wigman and Palucca, worked together with Wigman on several occasions but
17097-820: Was a major target for strategic bombing during World War II , including the Oil Campaign . Targets included the AFA ( Stöcken ), the Deurag-Nerag refinery ( Misburg ), the Continental plants ( Vahrenwald and Limmer ), the United light metal works (VLW) in Ricklingen and Laatzen (today Hanover fairground ), the Hanover/Limmer rubber reclamation plant , the Hanomag factory ( Linden ) and
17236-417: Was a somber, ceremonial piece. Pavane , set to music by Ravel , was danced with even greater gravity. Georgi and Kreutzberg wore glowing white costumes as they moved slowly and mournfully through the dark space. Another slow piece, Persiches Lied (music by Satie ), was performed in striking Oriental costumes. The dancers met in the space and coiled about each other with matching movements, finally sinking to
17375-518: Was also looking for movements independent of music and independent physical expression. After that, she stayed in Rome and Berlin. Another key early experience was a solo concert by Grete Wiesenthal . The Jaques-Dalcroze school's practice made dance secondary to music, so Wigman decided to take her interests elsewhere. In 1913, on advice from the German-Danish expressionist painter Emil Nolde , she entered
17514-440: Was an important influence in moving modern dance to a global, popular level. Without doubt, Kreutzberg was a study in contradictions: an artistic revolutionary, while at the same time an ally of the National Socialist regime. Defenders characterize him as apolitical, committed only to his art, though he continued his career uninterrupted under the Nazis and allowed himself to be used as a poster boy for their cultural propaganda. He
17653-628: Was founded in Berlin in November 1925 as a society of friends of the Mary Wigman Dance Group. Founding members included the theatre director Max von Schillings , Reichskunstwart Edwin Redslob , the composer Eugen d'Albert , the painters Emil Nolde and Conrad Felixmüller , the archaeologist and senior government minister Ludwig Pallat [ de ] , the journalists and theatre critics Alfred Kerr and Artur Michel [ de ] ,
17792-546: Was impacting U.S. dancers as well. Erick Hawkins and José Limón considered him a major force in the development of the male modern dancer at a time when women "pioneers" were more abundant. He was critical link in the aesthetic lineage that gave rise to American choreographer/composer Alwin Nikolais and choreographer/dance educator Hanya Holm . In 1933, Helene von Taussig published a book of twenty-four charcoal drawings of Kreutzberg dancing. The minimalist motion studies portray bodily movement rather than physical features as
17931-672: Was in 1958. In 1965, at Page's invitation, his last U.S. appearance was with Lyric Opera of Chicago in a production of Carl Orff 's Carmina Burana . He danced the role of Death . He was cast in character roles in the Italian-West German film Labyrinth (1959) as Sir Agamemnon, and in the West German TV movies Annoncentheater – Ein Abendprogramm des deutschen Fernsehens im Jahre (1962) as Artist and Das Kabinett des Professor Enslen (1964) as Professor Enslen. Kreutzberg made
18070-604: Was installed. A local newspaper, the Hanoverscher Kurier , was published in Hanover at this time. After 1937 the lord mayor and the state commissioners of Hanover were members of the NSDAP (Nazi party). A large Jewish population then existed in Hanover. In October 1938, 484 Hanoverian Jews of Polish origin were expelled to Poland, including the Grynszpan family . However, Poland refused to accept them, leaving them stranded at
18209-402: Was involved in a number of brief dance partnerships: Elisabeth Grube, Tilly Losch and Ilse Meudtner . In 1930, he and Wilckens met Ruth Page , an American ballerina, aboard the Aquitania . The three hit it off immediately, forming a friendship and "artistic ménage a trois " that would last for decades. In 1933, Page and Kreutzberg launched a "new and rather surprising partnership." Though
18348-488: Was named after Mary Wigman. Streets were also named after her in the Vilich-Müldorf district of Bonn , in the Bothfeld district of Hanover and in the Käfertal district of Mannheim . In Hanover, a commemorative plaque was attached to Wigman's former home at Schmiedestrasse 18 . In Leipzig , a memorial plaque on the house at Mozartstrasse 17 commemorates Wigman, who lived and taught there from 1942 until she moved to West Berlin in 1949. The first Mary Wigman Society
18487-407: Was never her student. Student Irena Linn taught Wigman's ideas in the United States at Boston Conservatory and in Tennessee. Ursula Cain was also one of Wigman's students. On tour, Wigman travelled throughout Germany and neighbouring countries with her chamber dance group. In 1928 Wigman performed for the first time in London and in 1930 in the United States . In the 1920s, Wigman was the idol of
18626-507: Was one of the most esteemed and highly paid artists in Nazi Germany despite being homosexual and despite the fact he unabashedly presented gender bending modern work. Kreutzberg incorporated feminine movements and costuming in his performances and challenged the stereotypical male roles of princes and mythical gods. When asked by a reporter to disclose his theory of dance, Kreutzberg responded: "You must understand that we know technique, in fact are grounded in it, but as soon as we have achieved
18765-419: Was reconstructed and reopened in 2013. Among its points of interest is the Grotto, with the interior designed by French artist Niki de Saint Phalle . The Great Garden consists of several parts and features Europe's tallest garden fountain. The historic Garden Theatre has hosted the musicals of the German rock musician Heinz Rudolf Kunze . Also at Herrenhausen, the Berggarten is a botanical garden with
18904-558: Was released, he returned to Germany and resumed his international career. From 1936 forward, Kreutzberg performed primarily as a soloist. Touted by some as the "new Nijinsky ", Kreutzberg's style was influenced, in part by ballet, but was dominated by a modern aesthetic characterized by sharp, angular and twisting motions. The solos primarily fell into two categories: charming and humorous character dances that frequently used pantomimic gestures and grotesque masks, and transcendental dances that conveyed emotional states. The works ranged from
19043-492: Was the most famous German male dancer of the 20th century. Kreutzberg was born in Reichenberg, Austria-Hungary (now Liberec in the northernmost part of Bohemia, Czech Republic). He and his family subsequently lived in Breslau, Leipzig and Dresden, Germany. His father and grandfather worked as circus performers and wild animal act entertainers. His mother encouraged his penchant for play-acting and theatricality. At age 6, he entertained at Dresden's operetta house. He attended
19182-487: Was the most notable as his long-term partnership with Wilckens was an open secret. While other gay men were imprisoned and forced to wear pink triangles , Kreutzberg was encouraged to tour throughout Germany and abroad. The Reich's Tanzfestspiele (dance festivals) were a prelude to the Olympic Games of 1936 . Seeking to establish guidelines for "acceptable dance" and "advance a homogeneous, unified political and aesthetic ideology," Propaganda Minister Josef Goebbels hosted
19321-417: Was the site of EXPO 2000 fair. Some points of interest are the Planet M. , the former German Pavillon , some nations' vacant pavilions, the Expowale , the EXPO-Plaza and the EXPO-Gardens (Parc Agricole, EXPO-Park South and the Gardens of change). The fairground can be reached by the Exponale , one of the largest pedestrian bridges in Europe. The Hanover Fairground is the largest exhibition centre in
#512487