The revolution in theatrical dance that began around the turn of the 20th century in Europe was about more than breaking with the traditions of ballet and developing a new genre—it was about fashioning a new way of life with a vision for the future. The utopian spirit of this wave of change was shared by a collection of social movements at that time, which came to be referred to as the Lebensreformbewegung (Life-reform movement). The narratives of both the revolution in dance and these reform movements intersected not only temporarily and ideologically, but also geographically and genealogically with the meeting of Rudolf von Laban and Mary Wigman, the most prominent figures of German modern dance or Ausdruckstanz, at the Lebensreform community at Monte Verità and the opening of Laban’s summer school there in 1913. Although this is the most explicit example of the movements blending together, numerous writings and publications emerging from both movements document how both philosophies—specifically the goal of living a healthier life; integrating the body, mind, and spirit; living closer to nature; connecting to a higher metaphysical realm; blending art with everyday life, and cultivating a higher culture for society—constituted a model for how to live a better more fulfilled life. This dissertation explores the co-development of these two movements; in particular, how this new conception of dance came to function as a metaphor for a new way of life that presented a different path society could take—an alternative modernity. Laban and Wigman’s successes in the dance world eventually eclipsed the efforts and achievements of the reform movements in popularity, which led to the creation of the aestheticized life-praxis and, to an extent, popularized many of the reforms, for which the other reform movements were fighting.

In chapter one, the correlation between Ausdruckstanz and the Lebensreform movement begins with Nietzsche and his theorization of dance and the Dionysian spirit in art. This chapter also examines Nietzsche’s theory of the metaphor and how dance came to function as both a practice and metaphor for not only life but also aspiring to and achieving the status of Übermensch. Chapter two continues the discussion of the metaphoricity of dance and language through Hugo von Hofmannsthal and his relationship with Grete Wiesenthal, a Viennese dancer experimenting with movement and music in a comparable way to Laban and Wigman. Wiesenthal and Hofmannsthal are early examples of the spirit of dance in the broader societal context, and Hofmannsthal’s subsequent work, inspired by this relationship, theorizes a new vital language that strives for a more immediate and visceral mode of communication. The practice of dance at Monte Verità comprises chapter 3. Central to this practice is Laban’s theory of the tänzerischer Sinn (dancing sense), which includes a belief that dance has the power not only to train the dancer but also the audience. In this way, dance was able to spread and share its message beyond the boundaries of the small community in Switzerland. Chapter 4 addresses the evolution of dance during the First World War and how it developed into a dance of death. The First World War also signaled the end of the community at Monte Verità and the shift in focus toward more politically engaged artistic movements, as was the case with Dada. The fifth chapter analyzes the transposition of dance onto the medium of film in the 1920s. At this moment in time dance and the fitness movement have gained more recognition in society and become the subject of a full-length documentary film, Ways to Strength and Beauty. During this time a certain style of beauty is codified, popularized, and eventually appropriated and used as nationalist propaganda, which feeds into the propaganda of the Third Reich. Dancer and filmmaker, Leni Riefenstahl, constitutes one concrete bridge between these two worlds. The epilogue concludes the discussion of the transformation and appropriation of both dance and the elements of the various reform movements during the Third Reich and draws an arch through the 1960s and 70s to the present, highlighting the legacy of these movements.

More broadly, this dissertation contributes to a deeper understanding of counter-culture movements and their life spans, arguing that most succumb to the capitalist system and market place instead of achieving their desired effect on society. It provides insight into a range of practices and ways of life today that reflect the same values and aspirations that the protagonists of these movements were advocating for over one hundred years ago—a thriving fitness culture, appreciation and respect for nature, rejection of materialism and consumerism, and the popularization of dance.