Weimars Wirkung. Das Nachleben der ersten deutschen Republik ed. by Hanno Hochmuth, Martin Sabrow, and Tilmann Siebenreichner (review)

Abstract

ories of modern dance. As Christian argues, space for Laban is “an active receptacle for bodily movements that extend dancers beyond their physical bounds” (112), and as such, Laban sought to put into dance practice “the idea of spatial form (Umraumform)” (113). Inspired by artist and theorist Wassily Kandinsky, Kabbalah, and the occult, Laban’s text The World of the Dancer is filled with references to dynamized air, such as “magnetic and other currents,” “air waves,” and “the play of atoms” (119). The Coda brings together threads throughout the book and concludes by suggesting how the book’s theories serve as precursors to what would become central to theories of modern art in the twentieth century. Objects in Air is a book deserving of praise. Christian brings tremendous nuance to her analysis of the texts at hand. With careful and thoughtful attention to specific concepts and relationships between concepts, Christian presents complex arguments and analyses clearly. Throughout, Christian offers innovative interpretations and creative connections, and the organization of each chapter helps her compelling analyses to shine through. I, for one, welcome Christian’s significant attention to dance for consideration of choreography as artwork and for dance’s clear relevance to theories of space. Objects in Air is an innovatively argued, thoroughly researched, and eloquently written book, and is highly recommended for graduate students, faculty, and independent scholars in German studies, literary studies, art history, and dance studies. Susan Funkenstein, University of Michigan