Born in Vienna in 1890, Gertrud Bodenwieser became a leading exponent of Ausdruckstanz (Expressionist Dance) during the 1920s and 1930s, developing a definitive personal style and a philosophy of dance that distinguished her from all her contemporaries. In 1938 she emigrated to Australia to start her career afresh with the remaining nucleus of her company from Nazi-occupied Austria. In this collection of writings (initially compiled by Bettina Vernon and posthumously completed by her husband Charles Warren) each contributor highlights Bodenwieser's achievements from a different perspective, with reminiscences from her pupils and company members, together with scholarly studies.

While much has been written about the visual artists and playwrights of early twentieth-century Germany - Nolde, Kandinsky, Kokoschka and others - their equally innovative contemporaries in dance have not been studied so extensively. The development of the New Dance, also called Ausdruckstanz, paralleled that of expressionist art and drama. This study focuses on nine choreographers whose theories, work, aesthetic values and artistic intent convey the variations and commonalities of this dance form. They are Mary Wigman, Gret Palucca, Harald Kreutzberg, Yvonne Georgi, Vera Skoronel, Berthe Trümpy, Niddy Impekoven, Grete Wiesenthal, and Valeska Gert.

Ausdruckstanz, Geschichte, Tagung, Philosophie, Ästhetik, Pädagogik Musik, Kulturgeschichte, Photographie, Theater, Politik, Bühnentanz

Focusing on politics, gender, and identities, a group of international dance scholars provide a broad overview of methodological approaches and how they can be applied to the study of ballet and modern dance.