Modern Dance in France: An Adventure, 1920-1970

Front Cover
Taylor & Francis, 1997 - Performing Arts - 446 pages
It was indeed an adventure for those pioneers in France who struggled for the recognition of the new-born dance of the twentieth century - from the free dance of Isadora Duncan, through the absolute dance of Mary Wigman, to the modern dance of Martha Graham. Jacqueline Robinson has lived at the heart of this adventure, sharing the aspirations of a whole generation who often suffered from the lack of understanding of an establishment more inclined towards classical ballet. From the breaking of the soil in the twenties, to the flowering in the sixties, here is a chronicle of the changing landscape of French dance. Here is the story of those men and women, ploughmen and poets, rebels and visionaries - the recollection of those events that made it possible for dance as an art form in Western countries to rise again as a fundamental expression of the human spirit.
 

Contents

INTRODUCTION
1
Harmonic Gymnastics
9
Dance to Serve Man? Man to Serve Dance?
12
Chronology
19
Modern Dance is First and Foremost Individual
25
Other Influences
30
THE ACTORS
45
Ellen TelsRabanek
60
Jacqueline Robinson by Geneviève Piguet
240
Laura Sheleen
250
Karin Waehner
257
Muriel Topaz
266
Gilberto Motta
273
Titane SaintHubert
280
Frédérique Franchini
286
Phyllis Drayson
293

24
68
Hélène Vanel and Loïs Hutton
76
CONCLUSION
97
from the GroundBreaking to
105
The Wave from Central Europe
111
THE ACTORS
117
THE LABAN AND WIGMAN LINES
126
Heinz Finkel
133
Mila Cirul
140
Anita Wiskeman by Florence Poudru
146
Jean Serry
152
Fée Hellès by Denise Coutier
166
Chronology
173
The Return to Peace
179
Jacques Copeau and his Heritage
185
Scouts
191
THE ACTORS
198
FRENCH DANCERS OF EUROPEAN DESCENT
208
Raymonde Lombardin
212
Jacqueline Levant
218
THE GRAFTS
233
Odile HamelinPyros
306
Social Changes
315
A Digression on Folklore
323
Youth and Vulnerability
329
The Growing Presence of Modern Dance
335
The Ballet Théâtre Contemporain
341
Ballet pour Demain
346
Claude Decaillot
352
Suzon Holzer
358
Muriel Jaër
366
Alberte Raynaud
373
Denise Coutier and Danse Ma Joie D M J
379
Arlet Bon
385
Juan Carlos Bellini
391
ANOTHER
395
EPILOGUE
401
Appendices
409
Bibliography
427
49
433
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