Mary Wigman
German dancer and choreographer who pioneered expressionist dance.
Mary Wigman (born Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann; 13 November 1886 – 18 September 1973) was a German dancer and choreographer who pioneered 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.
- born
- 13 November 1886
- died
- 18 September 1973
- field
- Dance and choreography
- nationality
- German
- known_for
- Pioneering expressionist dance, dance therapy, and movement training without poi
Verified Timeline
Lore & Background
Mary Wigman was born in Hanover, Province of Hanover in the Kingdom of Prussia, 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.' She came to dance comparatively late after seeing three students of Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, and studied rhythmic gymnastics in Hellerau from 1910 to 1911 with Jaques-Dalcroze and Suzanne Perrottet. Dissatisfied with making dance secondary to music, she entered the Rudolf von Laban School for Art on Monte Verità in 1913, working on a technique based on contrasts of movement—expansion and contraction, pulling and pushing. She showed her first public dances in Munich, including 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 1918, Wigman suffered a nervous breakdown. Performances in Hamburg and Dresden brought her the big breakthrough.
Reader's Guide
Wigman's significance lies in her development of expressionist dance, which freed movement from subordination to music. She 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. She opened a school for modern dance on Bautzner Strasse in Dresden in 1920 with her assistant Bertha Trümpy. 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. Her work through dance and movement contributed as a gateway for social change with the New Dance Group in the 1930s, started by students from Wigman's New York school. Her style was characterized by critics as 'tense, introspective, and sombre,' yet there was always an element of 'radiance found even in her darkest compositions.' Under National Socialism, the seizure of power in 1933 had an immediate effect on her school through the new law against racial overcrowding in German schools and universities of 25 April 1933. Wigman was accused of 'friendliness toward Jews' in 1935 and 1937. In 1942, Wigman sold her school in Dresden and received a guest teaching contract at the dance department of the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig.
Did You Know?
- Wigman was born Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann, but was called Mary as a child '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.'
- She suffered a nervous breakdown in 1918, but performances in Hamburg and Dresden later brought her big breakthrough.
- By 1927, Wigman had 360 students in Dresden alone and more than 1,200 students at branches across Germany and New York.
- Wigman was accused of 'friendliness toward Jews' in 1935 and 1937 under the National Socialist regime.
- In 1942, she sold her Dresden school and took a guest teaching contract at the dance department of the University of Music and Theatre Leipzig.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Mary Wigman?
Mary Wigman was a German dancer and choreographer born in 1886 who became a central figure in the development of modern dance. She is best remembered for pushing expressionist movement to the forefront of the stage during the Weimar era.
What is Mary Wigman most known for?
She is credited with pioneering expressionist dance, developing early dance therapy practices, and creating movement training methods that rejected pointe shoes. Her work brought raw, existential emotional experiences into choreography.
What was Mary Wigman's birth name and when did she live?
She was born Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann on 13 November 1886 and passed away on 18 September 1973. Her career spanned the Weimar Republic and the decades that followed in Germany.
Why is Mary Wigman considered important in dance history?
She is regarded as one of the most significant figures in the history of modern dance because she helped define an entirely new vocabulary of movement. Her influence extended beyond performance into therapeutic and educational contexts that shaped how dancers train today.
What made Mary Wigman's movement style different from classical ballet?
Wigman trained and performed without pointe shoes, favoring grounded, barefoot movement that emphasized physical rawness. Her choreography prioritized internal emotional truth over technical virtuosity, aligning with the broader expressionist movement of the 1920s.
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