In 1933, the Nazis ordered Jooss to dismiss all the Jewish people
associated with his company. He refused. As a result, he and many of his
dancers had to flee Germany. They found refuge in Holland before
resettling in England, where Jooss opened a school with the dancer
Sigurd Leeder. After the end of World War II, Jooss returned to Essen
where he remained until he retired in 1968. One of his students from
this period was the choreographer Pina Bausch.
Jooss disliked plot-less dances and preferred themes that addressed moral issues. His most important choreographic work, The Green Table
(1932), won first prize at an international competition for new
choreography in Paris in 1932. It was a powerful anti-war statement,
made just a year before Adolf Hitler became the chancellor of Germany.
It is still performed by dance companies around the world. Another work,
Pandora (1944), contained disturbing images of human disaster
and tragedy, and was later interpreted as foretelling the dropping of
the atom bombs on Japan a year later.
Last updated-2012
Accessed-29th January 2012
Author-Rachel Straus
Last updated-2007
Accessed-29th January 2012
http://rachelstraus.com/2011/08/kurt-jooss-the-founding-father-of-tanztheater/
Born in Germany in 1901 and he had a farming background. He attended the academy of arts for phtography, drama and singing-he went onto dance through this. He was introduced to Rudolf Laban after graduating and worked with him on his notation research. He was hired by Laban as a ballet master and he was allowed to perform, however then decided to choreograph. He moved to another company to choreograph in 1928. In 1932 he founded 'Ballet Jooss' and he choreographed 'The Green Table' in 1932-known as the 'Anti-war Ballet'. He was awarded first prize in Paris at the international choreography competition. In 1933 a warrant for Jooss' arrest was applied by Nazis as he refused to release the Jewish from the company however no arrest took place.
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