Ausdruckstanz. Traditions, translations, transmissions

The article presents and discusses from a methodological perspective the state of the art of dance research about Ausdruckstanz on a international level.

The essay traverses the historiography of Ausdruckstanz (dance of expression) by problematizing its use of sources and methodological approaches from the tension that has arisen between an individual and collective memory of the artists and written history from published sources and especially from recently published archival materials. The different approaches restore the complexity of a tradition that while still being transmitted in some institutions that inherited its lessons directly from the masters, has only in recent years revealed the political filiations and ideological underpinnings that have been used to fuel even conflicting discourses and practices.