Laban's Dance School 1929 in Berlin
Born in Pressburg (today Bratislava), Laban was an Austrian-Hungarian dancer who revolutionized dance theory and choreography in the early 20th century. Laban founded dance schools throughout Germany in the 1920s and his fame soon brought him to Berlin in the 1930s where worked with Josef Hubert Pilates (yes, THOSE Pilates) and took over leadership of the Berlin State Opera Ballet. Laban’s new theory of expressive body movement (Ausdruckstanz) revolutionized modern dance and he even impressed the Nazis who enlisted him to choreograph the 1936 Olympic Games opening ceremonies. Soon, however, Laban fell out of favor with the Nazis, and fled Germany to continue his work in the U.S. and England. Today, Laban Movement Analysis is a basic element of study for any serious dancer. In honor of Rudolph Laban, and as part of Butler University’s “Mahler Project”, a 500 person Laban Movement Choir, under the direction of Prof. Cynthia Pratt, recently performed in the Butler Bowl (football stadium). An aesthetic feast for the eyes – below a sampling:
For a scientific discussion see Laban Movement Analysis
Filed under: Art and Music/Kunst und Musik, Dance/Tanz Tagged: | 1936, Berlin, Butler, dance, Laban, Olympics, Pressburg
