Globetrotter in dance: 100 years of the Palucca University in Dresden!

Globetrotter in dance: 100 years of the Palucca University in Dresden!

In the last few weeks everything in Dresden has been about the impressive legacy of Gret Palucca and the celebrations for the centenary of her dance school. The Palucca University has developed into an internationally important center for modern expressive dance. As the ARD Mediathek reports, Young dancers from all over the world come to Dresden to live their passion for dance. They often leave their homeland at the age of ten to devote themselves to dance and the discipline, pain, ambition and community that comes with it.

The everyday life of these dancers is hard, characterized by constant rehearsals and the urge to keep getting better. If you accompany them over several months, it becomes clear that this pursuit not only brings about self-doubt, but also pride and a deep enthusiasm for the art of dance. This presents a fascinating picture of an institution based on the ideas and understanding of Gret Palucca. Their credo, “You have to dance with your head and think with your legs!”, is reflected in the training and goes far beyond mere technique.

The story of Gret Palucca

Gret Palucca was born Margarete Paluka on January 8, 1902 in Dresden and has had a decisive influence on modern expressive dance. Her career began with ballet lessons in Dresden, where she quickly realized that the traditional forms did not suit her. MDR Kultur describes how she saw the performance of Mary Wigman, one of the pioneers of expressive dance, and decided to dance in her group. Their dance performances were acrobatic, impulsive and demonstrated powerful creativity.

By founding her own dance school in 1925, Palucca emerged from the shadows of traditional ballet and focused on innovative, modern expressive dance. But the political landscape in Germany brought challenges. During the Nazi era she received restrictions and her dance school was closed in 1939 as “out of class”. Nevertheless, she remained true to her art and her school, even when it was nationalized in the GDR in 1949. Her influence as a teacher, even if marked by ideological conflicts, remains noticeable today. Although Palucca died on March 22, 1993 at the age of 91, her school was not granted university status until a few months after her death.

The expressive dance and its meaning

Expressive dance, which became popular in Dresden and beyond in the 1920s and 1930s, has established itself as an important part of dance culture. Originally referred to without the term “expressive dance,” this style developed as a response to the rigid forms of classical ballet. As Wikipedia describes, expressive dance stands for individual creation and improvisation and encourages dancers to express their feelings and thoughts through movement. Gret Palucca was one of the key figures in this movement, along with dancers such as Mary Wigman and Harald Kreutzberg.

Today, young artists and enthusiasts are happy to be part of this living tradition that Palucca has brought to life. The urge to move the world and tell life stories through dance remains a central theme in today's dance education.

In Dresden, where Palucca once dreamed and danced, her legacy lives on and continues to inspire the next generation. This brings to life a piece of cultural history that has an impact far beyond the city's borders.