About the Book

Routledge Performance Practitioners is a series of introductory guides to the key theatre-makers of the last century. Each volume explains the background to and the work of one of the major influences on twentieth and twenty-first-century performance.

A dancer, teacher and choreographer, Mary Wigman was a leading innovator in expressionist dance. Her radical explorations of movement and dance theory are credited with expanding the scope of dance as a theatrical art in her native Germany and beyond. This book combines for the first time:

• a full account of Wigman’s life and work
• detailed discussion of her aesthetic theories, including the use of space as an ‘invisible partner’ and the transcendent nature of performance
• a commentary on her key works, including Hexentanz and The Seven Dances of Life
• an extensive collection of practical exercises designed to provide an understanding of Wigman’s choreographic principles and her uniquely immersive approach to dance.

As a first step towards critical understanding, and as an initial exploration before going on to further primary research, Routledge Performance Practitioners are unbeatable value for today's student.