ABSTRACT
Itisacuriousfactthatinterdisciplinarysurveysoftheartsoftenexcludedance. Thereasonsforthisexclusioninterestmelessthanhowtheinclusionofdance mightalterthescriptingoftheculturalrecord.Oncedanceiswrittenintothe historyofthearts,howwillthenarrativesgoverningthathistoryshiftinresponse? Forme,thisistheprovocativequestion.NotthatIdenythevalidityofaskingwhy culturalhistoryhasignoreddance,buttheanswersseemself-evident. 1
Intermsofmyownresearch,whatconcernsmeisnotwhymosthistorians ofGermanculturehaveoverlookedthedevelopmentofAusdruckstanz("danceof expression"),asmoderndancewasknownduringtheinterwaryears,butrather howthehistoryofAusdruckstanzcountersthestandardnarrativesandperiodizationofWeimarculture.SurveyaftersurveyreiteratesthefamiliartaleofWeimar modernismcutshortbytheriseofNationalSocialismin1933.Thenow-standardstudiesofWeimarculturebyPeterGay,WalterLaqueur,johnWillett,and BarbelSchraderandjurgenScheberalookatliterature,theater,painting,film, music,architecture,design,evenpopularentertainmentandmassmedia,butnot Ausdruckstanz 2Theomissionissignificant:Weremoderndanceincluded,then thenotionthattheNationalSocialistsbrandedallmanifestationsofartisticmodernismas"degenerate"wouldnolongerhold.Forincontrasttotheotherarts, whereamajorityofleadingmodernistseitherwentintoexileorstoppedworking after1933,onlyaminorityofself-proclaimedmodernistsindanceemigrated. ThemajorityofmoderndancersremainedinGermanyafterHitlercameto powerand,invaryingways,cametotermswiththeThirdReich 3
Onlyrecentlyhavedancers,critics,andscholarsbeguntoprobethealliance betweenAusdruckstanzandNationalSocialism.Todate,theirdiscussionhas sketchedfivepositionsfromwhichtoviewthedancers'collaboration.Allfive perspectivesimplicitlytheorizetherelationsbetweenideologyandform,andthis essaybeginsbyuncoveringandarticulatingthedifferingassumptionsunderlying eachviewpoint.Threeofthefivepositionsassumeone-to-onecorrespondences betweenideologyandform,investingtheformofAusdruckstanzortheformofits antagonist,ballet,withpersistentideologicalimports.Incontrast,manyofthe
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ofsupportforfascistaesthetics.10Inthepostwarperiod,Wigmansawherselfas avictimofNazipolicy,notasanartistcomplicitinherownvictimization-and thevictimizationofothers.
