Shamanism in Weimar Dance: The Pathway to Mary Wigman and the Beginning of Dance as Therapy
Carole Kew
Dance Research November 19, 2019 DOI: 10.3366/drs.2019.0271 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Historical analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Shamanism |
| Key points | Argues that Mary Wigman's Weimar-era expressive dance, though new in its inception, incorporated elements recalling ancient shamanic dance, and that this new-but-ancient practice acted as the foundational impetus for twentieth-century dance and movement therapy. |
Abstract
Mary Wigman's expressive dance (Ausdruckstanz) was a significant strand within Weimar dance that, although new in its inception, featured elements that recalled the ancient tradition of shamanic dance. Drawing on articles from the Weimar period and recent accounts of shamanism, as well as Wigman's own writing, this essay explores how this new but ancient practice acted as the foundational impetus for twentieth century dance and movement therapy.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on shamanism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon and Beyond | 2014 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Shamanism as the Original Neurotheology | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Cognitive Neuroscience, Shamanism and the Rock Art of Native California | 1998 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From Culture to Experience: Shamanism in the Pages of the Soviet Anti-Religious Press | 2020 | Historical analysis | |
| Anthropology, Shamanism, and Alternate Ways of Knowing–Being in the World: One Anthropologist's Journey of Discovery and Transformation | 2010 | Reflective essay or personal narrative |