ABSTRACT
This chapter deals with two of the three Dance Congresses that Laban co-organised in 1927 (Magdeburg), 1928 (Essen) and 1930 (Munich). From the readings and commentary in Parts I and II, it is clear that Laban wanted to promote something like a Dance Culture, where all aspects of human life, be it health, recreation, education and even philosophy, were permeated by a feeling for dance, by the physical pleasure afforded by movement.
We have seen Laban’s advocacy for dance take various forms: in the early 1910s his gatherings in Ascona attracted international press comment; he gave numerous public talks, wrote countless articles and published four books between 1920 and 1926. Thus, we have to see the organisation of the three dance ‘congresses’ as part of his tireless advocacy for a greater understanding and valuing of dance as an artform and of dancers as artists worthy of the same respect as poets or musicians. These congresses gave fellow choreographers and dancers the opportunity to articulate and debate ideas about the problems and possibilities of dance in Germany in the 1920s and to present and discuss new work. And, inevitably, it gave the space for rivalries, especially between Laban and Wigman.
This shortish chapter features no writings by Laban, but two longish articles describing the Magdeburg and Essen congresses.
