DIE WIENER TANZMODERNE ALS INTERSEKTIONALE JEWISH VISUAL HISTORY: DREI ÜBERLEGUNGEN

Abstract

Gertrud Bodenwieser, Lilian Harmel, Gertrud Kraus, and Hilde Holger: the Jewish heritage of many pioneers of modern dance in Vienna is as widely recognized as the fact that Viennese modern dance was shaped primarily by these (Jewish) women*. Yet the question of the extent to which they engaged with or even developed a specific repertoire of imagery and gesture has thus far been addressed only sporadically. This paper takes this as a point of departure to examine the intersections of gender, Jewishness, and dance within the framework of an intersectional Jewish Visual History. Through the discussion of case studies, it reveals not only the deep interconnections among these categories but also the mutual conditioning of popular educational gymnastics, artistic dance, and photography. Considered together, these practices constitute a visual and corporeal canon that integrates into the broader iconography of modern dance, while simultaneously acquiring additional layers of meaning when viewed through the lens of Jewish Visual History.