HANYA HOLM in AMERICA, 1931-1936: DANCE, CULTURE and COMMUNITY a Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Boar
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
HANYA HOLM IN AMERICA, 1931-1936: DANCE, CULTURE AND COMMUNITY A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy By Tresa M Randall August, 2008 © Copyright 2008 by Tresa M Randall iii ABSTRACT Though she is widely considered one of the “four pioneers” of American modern dance, German-American Hanya Holm (1893-1992) occupies a shadowy presence in dance history literature. She has often been described as someone who fell in love with America, purged her approach of Germanic elements, and emerged with a more universal one. Her “Americanization” has served as evidence of the Americanness of modern dance, thus eclipsing the German influence on modern dance. This dissertation challenges that narrative by casting new light on Holm’s worldview and initial intentions in the New World, and by articulating the specifics of the first five years of her American career. In contrast to previous histories, I propose that Holm did not come to the U.S. to forge an independent career as a choreographer; rather, she came as a missionary for Mary Wigman and her Tanz-Gemeinschaft (dance cultural community). To Wigman and Holm, dance was not only an art form; it was a way of life, a revolt against bourgeois sterility and modern alienation, and a utopian communal vision, even a religion. Artistic expression was only one aspect of modern dance’s larger purpose. The transformation of social life was equally important, and Holm was a fervent believer in the need for a widespread amateur dance culture. This study uses a historical methodology and accesses traces of the past such as lectures, school reports, promotional material, newspaper articles, personal notebooks, correspondence, photographs, and other material—much of it discussed here for the first iv time. These sources provide evidence for new descriptions and interpretations of Holm’s migration from Germany to the U.S. and from German dance to American dance. I examine cultural contexts that informed Holm’s beliefs, such as early twentieth century German life reform and body culture; provide a sustained analysis of the curriculum of the New York Wigman School of the Dance; and consider how the politicization of dance in the 1930s—in both Germany and the U.S.—affected Holm and her work. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS After so many years engaged in this research project, I am indebted to many people. First, I must thank my advisor, Karen Bond, who encouraged my research on Hanya Holm from my first semester at Temple University. I have especially appreciated her insight, her attention to language, and her impeccable feedback; she has been a wonderful colleague, friend, and mentor. Thank you also to Luke Kahlich, for serving on my committee and for his leadership of the Temple University Dance Department during my time there; and to Ann Dils, for offering her expertise as the external reader. I am deeply obliged to Marion Kant for her mentorship over the last few years. She has unselfishly shared her knowledge and insight, and inspired me to think in new ways. Her comments helped to untangle my questions, clarify my methodology, and deepen my analysis. She has profoundly affected my development as a dance historian. I feel fortunate that the subject of this study overlaps with the excellent, groundbreaking work of Susan Manning, for her work has elevated mine. I also appreciate her willingness to share unpublished materials. A number of other scholars have commented on lectures and articles I have written along the way, offering their expertise and suggesting resources; these include Jonathan Steinberg, Yvonne Hardt, Selma Odom, and Ann Nugent. This study would not have been possible without Claudia Gitelman. Her work on Holm has provided a foundation for my own, and she has generously shared materials and information. Her advocacy and support helped expedite the processing of the Hanya vi Holm Papers at the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts—the materials that form the core of this study’s evidence. For the same reason, I extend special thanks to Madeleine Nichols, former curator of the Dance Division; Charles Perrier, Manuscripts Librarian; and Don Redlich, who all made it possible for me to access these critical materials. Charles Perrier, in particular, has provided essential assistance. Librarians and archivists at a number of other repositories also provided help: Steven Siegel of the 92nd Street YMHA Archives, New York, NY; Elizabeth Falsey of Houghton Library, Harvard University; Andrea Goldstein of Harvard University Archives; Fran O’Donnell of Andover-Harvard Theological Library; Debra Elfenbein of the American Dance Festival Archives; Steve Nielsen of the Minnesota Historical Society; Grace Zhou, Jenny Dalberth, and the staff of the Columbia University Oral History Research Office; the staff of the Music Division, Library of Congress; and Judith Connick of the Alwin Nikolais/Murray Louis Dance Collection, Ohio University. Thank you also to Melvene Dyer-Bennet for sharing her memories of Hanya Holm with me; to Ann Hutchinson-Guest, for her feedback on a Holm-based class I taught at a National Dance Education Organization conference; to Jacob Wegelin for sharing personal interviews he conducted with his mother, Caroline Locke Wegelin, and with Mimi Kagan; to Emily Odzo, Kagan’s daughter, for permission to read her mother’s memoirs; and to Gertrud Michelson, for permission to photocopy and translate letters from Holm to her mother, Franziska Boas. My colleagues at the Ohio University School of Dance have been supportive and patient as I have worked to finish this project. Thank you especially to Madeleine Scott, vii Director of the School of Dance, and to Chuck McWeeny, Dean of the College of Fine Arts, for providing the necessary financial support to complete my research. Finally, the deepest thanks to my family. To my parents, for making it possible for me to pursue dance from the beginning, for supporting my interest despite the many challenges of a career in the arts and academia, and for a lifetime of encouragement and faith in my potential. To my daughter, Ailis, who has had to share her mommy for all of her three and a half years. And most of all, to my husband, David Hayden, for making this possible in innumerable ways. He deserves an honorary degree in dance history for listening, talking, editing, and giving suggestions for so many years. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT..................................................................................................................iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ............................................................................................vi CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................1 Overview.....................................................................................................................1 Methodology .............................................................................................................15 The Study..................................................................................................................25 CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF SELECTED LITERATURE........................................33 Introduction...............................................................................................................33 Hanya Holm and the Canon.......................................................................................34 Biographical Material ................................................................................................39 Recent Scholarship ....................................................................................................47 Conclusion ................................................................................................................61 CHAPTER 3: CULTURAL FOUNDATIONS OF HANYA HOLM’S MISSION ...66 Introduction...............................................................................................................66 Historical Foundations of Body Culture.....................................................................68 Worldview of Body Culture.......................................................................................75 Modern Dance: A New Art of the Body.....................................................................87 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................104 CHAPTER 4: MARY WIGMAN AND HER DISCIPLES......................................114 Introduction.............................................................................................................114 Joining Wigman ......................................................................................................115 Wigman’s Mission...................................................................................................120 Modern Dance as Religion.......................................................................................133 Opportunity in the New World.................................................................................141 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................149 CHAPTER 5: THE NEW YORK WIGMAN SCHOOL .........................................159 Introduction.............................................................................................................159