Dance History with Bettina
Ancient Heritage of Expressionist Dance in Today's Bodies
The artistic heritage of the 20th century is rich and diverse as probably no other century before.
Bettina Helmrich explores physically with the TTP-participants three transformative periods of the western dance scene of the 20ies century: the 1920s (especially in Germany the development of Ausdruckstanz) the late 1950ies/60ies with focus on the art scene in the US and the period of 1980ies. Today the focus was on the 1920ies and the role of female performers such as Josephine Baker (US), Mary Wigman (Germany) and Valeska Gert (Germany). The physical expression of these female artists on stage are reflecting very well the fundamental changes of the status of women in society and public space at the time. Outstanding developments in expressionist dance and the empowerment of the female body were thrown back in Germany during the Nazi regime in the 30ies and of course interrupted through the years of the war and were followed up lateron.
The TTP-participants watched and discussed video material before they went into the physical experience. Therefore they played with two contrasting movement qualities of Mary Wigman, a pioneer of expressive dance in Germany (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtLSSuFlJ5c ) and Valeska Gert (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YlUwzu3fLQ) with her physical language inspired by cabaret and pantomime, as a counterpart to Wigman.
Here are some of the quotes of the participants that came up in the sharing circle after the physical research:
„The exercise with the breath by Wigman was really effective for me to work with. I discovered more clarity in separating my emotions and the movement patterns and qualities they evoke. At the same time I was able to control this state of the body without being distracted by unuseful emotions.“ (Basil, TTP-participant)
„I always wondered how people can dance rhythmically without music. Now I experienced for the first time how the breath can lead the rhythm of the movement of the body. A rhythm from the inside. I understood this today! Thank you for this!“ (Leona, TTP-participant)
„What I take from today is the insight that developments in visual arts or art history in general are closely interconnected with the developments in contemporary dance. They influenced and enriched each other simultaneously. It is very stunning to see how qualities and images from art and paintings of that time are reflected in the bodies of the dancers. Today's experience also brought up the question of the interconnections between Dance and Theatre for me. The expressionist dance put emphasis for the first time on the inner movement instead of going for the external shape.“ (Pia, TTP-participant)
As you might have noticed in the text above only one (Josephine Baker) Black dancer/artist is mentioned, something that we as the documentation team also reflected over after the first lesson, and brought it into a dialog with the teacher. In the last lecture the 4 female artists were represented by as many Black/of color artists as white. The important female artists that were spoken about were: Taisha Padgett, Pina Bausch, Chyntia Oliver and Anne Theresa Kersmaker.
Chyntia Oliver is a former dancer of numerous companies, now working as a choreographer, performer and professor. Oliver is a woman of Caribbean descent, who with dance theater and spoken words incorporates textures of Caribbean performance with African and American sensibilities.
Video:
Taisha Paggett is a Choreographer and artist. Paggett works re-articulate and collide specific Western choreographic practices to interrogate fixed notions of Black and queer embodiment.
Video:
We in the documentation team think that it is very important to take notice that we live in a world where the structures that our ancestors planted hundred of years ago are still running. We live in a world with a white supremacy structure, a structure that permeates all facilities.
Which means that white dancers who fulfill the norm will get more profit out of the system, and dancers with for example other skin colour, body type, body function, women and LGBTQ will meet discrimination of various kinds and in many situations.
Dance exists within all cultures, all countries, all body variations, functions, sexualties and colors. Dance exists all over the world, in all spectrums.
And we in the documentation team believe that all of us share the responsibility to question the norms and structures that are existing in our everyday life.
Discrimination against dancers of colour is not a “new thing”, but something that finally have got more attention through the BLACK LIVES MATTER movement, but there is still a lot more work left to do until equality has been reached.
Katherine Dunham was an African-American dancer, choreographer, educator, author, anthropologist and social activist. Dunham was active during the 20th century, and her dance had a great impact on the world of dance. Dunham believed and worked towards an art scene where the Black dance should have the same status as the white European traditional dance. A very important goal that we have not yet reached, especially not in the more traditional dance forms like ballet. One dance company that works actively towards this goal is Ballet Black. A company that makes “fundamental changes in the diversity of classical ballet in Britain”, Ballet Black is a professional dance company who celebrates dancers of Black and Asian descends. You can read more about the company at balletblack.co.uk
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