Brief history of the Institute of Contemporary Dance at the Folkwang University of the Arts
by Stephan Brinkmann
Collaboration: Maiken-Ilke Groß, Prof. Lutz Förster
1927 _Founding of the "Folkwang School for Music, Dance and Speech" by the opera director Rudolf Schulz-Dornburg, the choreographer <link home/tanz/izt/geschichte/kurt-jooss/>Kurt Jooss, the municipal music director Max Fiedler, the stage designer Hein Heckroth and others in a school building at Friedrichstr. 34 in Essen. Jooss was also the founder and head of the dance department. For Jooss, dance education is part of a general art education. His aim is to develop the body as an artistic instrument in the best way possible - always with a clear inner attitude. Honesty, precision and authenticity are important concepts. Jooss builds on the movement theory of <link home/tanz/izt/geschichte/rudolf-von-laban/>Rudolf von Laban and works closely with <link home/tanz/izt/geschichte/sigurd-leeder/>Sigurd Leeder.
1928_ The "Folkwang-Tanztheater-Studio" (Folkwang Dance Theatre Studio) is founded as an experimental group at the Folkwangschule.
1930_ The "Folkwang-Tanztheater-Studio" (Folkwang Dance Theatre Studio) becomes a permanent ensemble of the Essen Opera House and goes on tour as the "Folkwang-Tanzbühne" (Folkwang Dance Stage).
1932_ Temporary closure of the School of Music, Dance and Speech due to the world economic crisis
_1. 1st prize for Kurt Jooss' choreography "Der grüne Tisch" (The Green Table) (U.A.) with the
"Folkwang-Tanzbühne" (Folkwang Dance Stage) at the International Choreography Competition
in Paris.
1933_ Kurt Jooss emigrates to the Netherlands in a drastic overnight decision. His sense of justice and his spirit of resistance brought him into conflict with the NSDAP: he was not prepared to part with the Jewish members of his ensemble. He is warned that the NSDAP Gauleitung intends to take him into custody. He flees by bus to Maastricht, taking most of his company with him. From there, the "Ballet Jooss" set off for their guest performance debut in New York. Sigurd Leeder initially stays in Essen to continue the school, but follows Jooss shortly afterwards to emigrate to Dartington Hall in England. Together with Kurt Jooss, he founded the Jooss-Leeder School of Dance there in 1934. 1934_Albrecht Knust was appointed the new director of the "Fachschule für Tanz" (College for Dance). Following public and internal criticism, he resigns after a year.
1935 to 1949_ Trude Pohl, a student of Kurt Jooss, becomes head of the dance department. During the Nazi state, dance and cultural policy demands of the National Socialist regime are fulfilled. Trude Pohl also takes over the management of the "Folkwang Tanzstudio" (Folkwang Dance Studio) and presents the ensemble at home and abroad with the support of the Ministry of Propaganda.
1949_ After returning from exile, Kurt Jooss once again takes over the management of the "Folkwang Tanzabteilung" (Folkwang Dance Department), which has been located in the former Benedictine Abbey in Essen-Werden since 1946. At his side is Hans Züllig, one of the formative soloists of the "Ballet Jooss". The aim of the course is to give students the greatest possible awareness of movement. In addition to the main subject of modern dance, the subject of classical dance is introduced. Sigurd Leeder founds his own school in London (1947 to 1959), heads the dance department at the University of Santiago in Chile (1959-1964) and the Sigurd Leeder School of Dance in Herisau, Switzerland (1964 to 1981).
1951_ First performance of the newly founded "Folkwang Tanztheater" (Folkwang Dance Theatre).
1953_ Discontinuation of the Folkwang Tanztheater (Folkwang Dance Theatre) due to lack of subsidies.
1958_ First awarding of the Folkwang Prize by the Society of Friends and Sponsors of the Folkwang School to <link home/tanz/izt/geschichte/pina-bausch/>Pina Bausch (dance) and Werner Sindemann (singing).
1961_ Establishment of the "Meisterklasse Tanz" (Masterclass Dance) through public subsidies, including from the WDR. The "Folkwangballett" (Folkwang Ballett) emerges from the master class. Choreographers for this ensemble include <link home/tanz/izt/geschichte/jean-cebron/>Jean Cébron, Antony Tudor, Lucas Hoving and Gigi Caciuleanu. 1967_ The Folkwang Hochschule is taken over by the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. (Some of the teachers become professors).
1969_ Prof. Hans Züllig becomes head of the dance department and the Folkwang Ballet. Hans Züllig leaves the artistic direction of the ensemble to Pina Bausch. She retains this task until she is offered the position of ballet director in Wuppertal in 1973.
1975 to 1977_ Reinhild Hoffmann and Susanne Linke jointly direct the Folkwang Ensemble, which is now called the "Folkwang Dance Studio" (FTS) again. It still bears this name today.
1983_Pina Bausch becomes head of the Folkwang Dance Department. She also takes over the artistic direction of the FTS again. Hans Züllig retires.
1989_ Pina Bausch hands over the management of the dance department. She remains Artistic Director of the FTS until her death in 2009.
1992_<link home/tanz/izt/geschichte/lutz-foerster>Prof. Lutz Förster becomes Head of the Dance Department.
1997_ The Dance Department is awarded the German Critics' Prize. The citation states: "Artistic talent usually only develops on a solid foundation of technical skills. Folkwang dance has maintained the delicate balance of mediating between tradition and innovation at the highest level for decades." 1999 to 2008_ The Folkwang Tanzstudio (Folkwang Dance Studio, FTS) is under the joint artistic direction of Pina Bausch and Henrietta Horn.
2009_Prof. Rodolpho Leoni and Prof. Lutz Förster take over as joint directors. In October, the Alte Aula is renamed the "Pina Bausch Theatre" in honour of the late, long-standing Folkwang personality Pina Bausch.
2011_ On October 1, the Institute for Contemporary Dance (IZT) begins its work. The IZT is managed by a board of directors. Prof. Lutz Förster takes over the management of the institute. Prof. Rodolpho Leoni is now in charge of the FTS. The IZT is an artistic institution of the Folkwang University of the Arts. It intensifies the cooperation between the dance study programs, the FTS and the Folkwang Dance Archive. Bachelor's and Master's degree courses are closely interlinked. In addition, cooperation with dance-related institutions such as the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, the Pina Bausch Foundation, the Choreographic Center PACT Zollverein, the Tanzhaus NRW, the Ausbildungskonferenz Tanz, the Hochschulübergreifendes Zentrum Berlin (HZT), Pottporus e.V. Bochum, the Centre National de Danse Contemporaine in Angers and others is intensified.
2012_ Prof. Lutz Förster takes over as artistic director of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. The new director of the institute is <link home/tanz/izt/geschichte/malou-airaudo>Prof. Malou Airaudo. At her side: Prof. Dr. Stephan Brinkmann and Prof. Rodolpho Leoni.
2016_ Prof. Lutz Förster resigns as artistic director of Tanztheater Wuppertal and resumes his teaching position at Folkwang.
2017_ The institute is managed by the board consisting of Prof. Malou Airaudo, Prof. Dr. Stephan Brinkmann and Prof. Ingo Meichsner.
2018_ Following the retirement of Prof. Malou Airaudo and Prof. Lutz Förster, Prof. Dr. Stephan Brinkmann takes over the management of the Institute. At his side on the Executive Board are Prof. Etsuko Akiya and Prof. Ingo Meichsner.