Lisa Ullmann
Encyclopedia
Lisa Ullmann was a German
-British
dance and movement teacher, predominantly remembered for her work in association with dance pioneer Rudolf Laban
. She studied dance at the Berlin Laban School, graduating in 1929. She taught in Nuremberg
and at the Essen
Folkwang School, where she worked for Kurt Jooss
. She left Nazi Germany in 1933 and went to England with Jooss and his company. In 1935 she established at Plymouth
the first movement choir in the country, under the auspices of the Workers' Educational Association
. She taught at Dartington Hall
until 1940, lectured regularly and choreographed extensively. Rudolf Laban
also left for Britain, and for twenty years (1938-58) Ullmann was his long-term partner and the main collaborator in his dance work. She was cofounder of the Laban Art of Movement Guild in 1945, now known as The Laban Guild for Movement and Dance. In 1946 she also cofounded the Art of Movement Studio in Manchester
, which became the centre for educational dance in England. The curriculum was based on Laban's space harmonies and his theories of the exploration of expressive movement through effort patterns. She was also responsible for revising several books written by Laban and for cataloguing the Laban Archives. She was still teaching up until the year of her death, imparting her expert knowledge of Laban's theories in courses run by LInC (Laban International Courses).
There is a Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund (Registered Charity No: 297684). Set up 1987, this fund awards travel scholarships with the aim of "Supporting individual journeys in movement and dance".
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
dance and movement teacher, predominantly remembered for her work in association with dance pioneer Rudolf Laban
Rudolf Laban
Rudolf von Laban aka Rudolf Laban was a dance artist and theorist whose work laid the foundations for Laban Movement Analysis and other more specific developments in dance notation...
. She studied dance at the Berlin Laban School, graduating in 1929. She taught in Nuremberg
Nuremberg
Nuremberg[p] is a city in the German state of Bavaria, in the administrative region of Middle Franconia. Situated on the Pegnitz river and the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal, it is located about north of Munich and is Franconia's largest city. The population is 505,664...
and at the Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
Folkwang School, where she worked for Kurt Jooss
Kurt Jooss
Kurt Jooss was a famous ballet dancer and choreographer mixing classical ballet with theatre; he is also widely regarded as the founder of dance theatre or tanztheater...
. She left Nazi Germany in 1933 and went to England with Jooss and his company. In 1935 she established at Plymouth
Plymouth
Plymouth is a city and unitary authority area on the coast of Devon, England, about south-west of London. It is built between the mouths of the rivers Plym to the east and Tamar to the west, where they join Plymouth Sound...
the first movement choir in the country, under the auspices of the Workers' Educational Association
Workers' Educational Association
The Workers’ Educational Association seeks to provide access to education and lifelong learning for adults from all backgrounds, and in particular those who have previously missed out on education. The International Federation of Workers Education Associations has consultative status to UNESCO...
. She taught at Dartington Hall
Dartington Hall
The Dartington Hall Trust, near Totnes, Devon, United Kingdom is a charity specialising in the arts, social justice and sustainability.The Trust currently runs 16 charitable programmes, including The Dartington International Summer School and Schumacher Environmental College...
until 1940, lectured regularly and choreographed extensively. Rudolf Laban
Rudolf Laban
Rudolf von Laban aka Rudolf Laban was a dance artist and theorist whose work laid the foundations for Laban Movement Analysis and other more specific developments in dance notation...
also left for Britain, and for twenty years (1938-58) Ullmann was his long-term partner and the main collaborator in his dance work. She was cofounder of the Laban Art of Movement Guild in 1945, now known as The Laban Guild for Movement and Dance. In 1946 she also cofounded the Art of Movement Studio in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, which became the centre for educational dance in England. The curriculum was based on Laban's space harmonies and his theories of the exploration of expressive movement through effort patterns. She was also responsible for revising several books written by Laban and for cataloguing the Laban Archives. She was still teaching up until the year of her death, imparting her expert knowledge of Laban's theories in courses run by LInC (Laban International Courses).
There is a Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund (Registered Charity No: 297684). Set up 1987, this fund awards travel scholarships with the aim of "Supporting individual journeys in movement and dance".
External links
- Trinity Laban - Laban school of dance, official website
- Short biography at Answers.com
- About Laban Biographical information taken from A Movement Perspective of Rudolf Laban by Sam Thornton
- The Laban Guild
- LInC (Laban International Courses)
- Laban Guild Archive at NRCD (National Resource Centre for Dance), University of Surrey Library, Guildford, UK.
- Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund