Parque Inglés, a novel by Efraín Villacís

Abstract

In the 1920s and 1930s, choreographers Mary Wigman and Kurt Jooss debated what dance should be like in the 20th century. Mary Wigman, a leading figure of Expressionism, believed that dance should be “absolute dance”—detached from narrative, pure presence. Kurt Jooss, on the other hand, developed the concept of dance-theater, as he believed that narrative—a hallmark of ballet—could be integrated into the concerns of modern dance....