Japonisme in German Expressionist Dance

Mary Wigman’s Noh Reception and Wy Magito’s Mask Dances

Abstract

It has long been known that Mary Wigman, the leading dancer of German expressionist dance, was influenced by Noh masks when designing her dance masks. Studies also show that Japanese dancers in Europe from the early 1900s to the 1930s often took up Japanese subjects. But compared to other art forms such as painting or theatre, the influence of Japanese culture on German expressionist dance still remains unclear. To show the examples of Japonisme in expressionist dance, this paper focuses on Wigman’s Noh reception as well as the Japanese-style mask dances by Wy Magito—a student of Wigman’s—who has rarely been spoken of. Considering Wigman’s mask theory, I would like to show that the Noh mask played a crucial role on its development and that she recognized its so-called “intermediate expression.” From an analysis of Wy Magito’s dances, I intend to make clear that Japonisme in the expressionist dance had various resources such as academic studies, travel reports, photographs, and films. I would also like to show that the reception of Noh in European modernism—which has been spoken about mainly relating male artists—can be discussed from a broader perspective with regard to female artists.