Kurt Jooss

Kurt Jooss

Kurt Jooss (12 January 1901, Wasseralfingen, Germany – 22 May 1979, Heilbronn, West Germany) was a German modern dancer and choreographer mixing classical ballet with theatre; he is also widely regarded as the founder of Dance Theatre or Tanztheater. Jooss is noted for establishing several dance companies, including most notably, the Folkwang Tanztheater, in Essen.

From a young age Jooss was interested in singing, drama and visual arts, he also played the piano and was a keen photographer.

He began his career in the 1920s and from 1920 to 1924 studied under and danced lead roles in the choreography of Rudolf von Laban (who was a trained visual artist and developer of dance theory). Jooss used narratives and modern theatre styles to make performable works of Dance Theatre, further developing the work of Laban. Within a year of leaving Laban, Jooss took the opportunity to establish his own dance company called, Die Neue Tanzbühne. It was here Jooss met Fritz A. Cohen, the Jewish composer who worked with Jooss on many of his famous pieces.

Jooss and Fritz (or Frederick) Cohen shared the belief that choreography and musical composition should evolve together to give expression of the dramatic idea in unified style and form. In 1925 Jooss and Sigurd Leeder joined a group of artists and opened a new dance school called "Westfälische Akademie für Bewegung, Sprache und Musik".

Jooss and Leeder went to Paris in 1926 to study Classical Ballet with Russian ballerina Lubov Egorova.

In 1927 Jooss and Leeder’s work "Dance of Death" was criticised for being too avant-garde; this resulted in the theatre of Münster changing personnel and programs. Because of this, many of Jooss’s colleagues left.

In 1927 Jooss moved the "Westfälische Akademie" to Essen, and it became the Folkwang Academy.

Jooss disliked plotless dances and preferred themes that addressed moral issues. Naturalistic movement, large-scale unison and characterisation were used by Jooss to address political concerns of the time. His most important choreographic work, The Green Table (1932), had won first prize at an international competition for new choreography in Paris in 1932. It was a strong anti-war statement, and was made a year before Adolf Hitler became the chancellor of Germany.

In 1933 Jooss was forced to flee Germany when the Nazis asked him to dismiss the Jews from his company and he refused. Jooss and Leeder (and doubtless Fritz Cohen and other members of his original company) took refuge in Holland before resettling in England. After touring in Europe and America, Jooss and Leeder opened a school at Dartington Hall in Devon.

In 1934, whilst in England Jooss added new works to his repertoire, including Pandora (1944), contained disturbing images of human disaster and tragedy, which was later interpreted by some as foretelling the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan a year later.

Jooss left England in 1949 to return to Essen, Germany. Jooss continued to teach and choreograph for 19 years. One of his students from this period was the choreographer Pina Bausch.

He retired in 1968 and died 11 years later in 1979 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident.

Kurt Jooss works are still performed today especially The Green Table. Anna Markard, (Jooss' daughter) supervises companies that perform his works, conserving authenticity of the author of Dance Theatre.

External links

* [http://artseal.citysearch.com/page/oz3i/Figurative__Portraiture__amp__Special_Exhibits/Kurt_Jooss_Ballet.html Kurt Jooss Ballets - "Vintage Photographs of 3 Jooss Ballets" - Exhibition at Gendell Gallery]


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  • Kurt Jooss — (* 12. Januar 1901 in Wasseralfingen; † 22. Mai 1979 in Heilbronn) war ein deutscher Tänzer, Choreograf und Tanzpädagoge, der das deutsche Tanztheater maßgeblich beeinflusste. Er war Mitbegründer der Folkwangschule und Gründer des Folkwang… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Kurt Jooss — Naissance 12 janvier 1901 Wasseralfingen en Allemagne Décès 22 mai 1979 Heilbronn en Allemagne Activité principale Danseur et chorégraphe Style …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Kurt Jooss — (12 de enero de 1901, Wasseralfingen 22 de mayo de 1979, Heilbronn) fue un profesor, bailarín y coreógrafo alemán. Después de estudiar danza con Rudolf Laban inauguró una escuela y su compañía llamada Ballets Jooss. Se volvió maestro de danza en… …   Wikipedia Español

  • JOOSS (K.) — JOOSS KURT (1901 1979) Danseur et chorégraphe allemand, né à Wasseralfingen (Wurtemberg) et mort à Heilbronn. Après des études musicales et d’art dramatique au conservatoire de Stuttgart, le danseur et chorégraphe allemand Kurt Jooss rencontre… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Jooss, Kurt — (12 ene. 1901, Wasseralfingen, Alemania–22 may. 1979, Heilbronn, Alemania Occidental). Bailarín, profesor y coreógrafo alemán. Después de estudiar danza con Rudolf Laban (1920–24), fundó una escuela y una compañía. Llegó a ser maestro de ballet… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Kurt — /kerrt/, n. a male given name. * * * (as used in expressions) Cobain Kurt Eisner Kurt Gödel Kurt Jooss Kurt Lewin Kurt Schleicher Kurt von Schuschnigg Kurt von Schwitters Kurt Vonnegut Kurt Jr. Waldheim Kurt Weill Kurt Julian * * * …   Universalium

  • Kurt — (as used in expressions) Cobain, Kurt Eisner, Kurt Gödel, Kurt Jooss, Kurt Lewin, Kurt Schleicher, Kurt von Schuschnigg, Kurt von Schwitters, Kurt …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Jooss — Jooss,   Kurt, Tänzer, Choreograph und Ballettmeister, * Wasseralfingen 12. 1. 1901, ✝ Heilbronn 22. 5. 1979; Schüler von R. von Laban, Mitbegründer und seit 1927 erster Direktor der Folkwangschule in Essen, wurde 1932 bekannt durch sein Ballett… …   Universal-Lexikon

  • Jooss, Kurt — born Jan. 12, 1901, Wasseralfingen, Ger. died May 22, 1979, Heilbronn, W.Ger. German dancer, teacher, and choreographer. After studying dance with Rudolf Laban (1920–24), he established a school and company. He became ballet master at the Essen… …   Universalium

  • Jooss — /yohs/, n. Kurt /koorddt/, 1901 79, German ballet dancer and choreographer. * * * …   Universalium

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