Irmgard Bartenieff entered university as a young adult just as Germany entered a new period. As she recalled, “Germany had experienced a disastrous defeat. The monarchy was abolished. The radical groups of socialism and communism came in, and it was really all these very factors that attracted everybody in the arts”… including Rudolf Laban.
Irmgard did not encounter Laban’s work until 1922, when, quite by accident, she began studying dance with one of his students. As Irmgard’s interest deepened, the teacher encouraged her to work directly with Laban.
Irmgard began work with Laban in 1925, studying notation, space harmony (movement structure) and eukinetics (movement expression). There were two career options for dancers in Laban’s schools – professional dancer on the stage or movement choir leader working with amateur movers for recreative and social purposes.
Find out about Irmgard’s choice in the next blog.