Kurt Jooss European Ballets

Photographs by Frank Marshall Moore

"The Green Table", "Ballade" & "A Ball in Old Vienna"

1936-1938 US (Chicago) tour of Jooss European Ballet 

Collection of 20 unique circa 1936-8 vintage silver prints, each signed & titled recto margin, also signed "Frank Marshall Moore" & titled "Jooss Ballet, Chicago" verso with additional notations.

(20) 5.75" x 6.75 prints, original mounts, matted 12" x 16"

Includes (2) Original Jooss Ballet Tour Illustrated Programs

Price for entire collection $5,000

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Chicago Tribune staff photographer Frank Marshall Moore, had the rare opportunity to photograph scenes from these three famous Ballets during the 1936-1938 US / Chicago tour of Jooss European Ballet.

Frank Marshall Moore, was a noted photo journalist with the Chicago Tribune during the 1930's, famed for his use of the Leica camera, he was also a contributor to Life Magazine and exhibited frequently during the 1930's. Moore was awarded a fellowship by the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britian for his work in early newspaper color work. This was the highest honor a photographer could receive in England.

See bottom of page for information on Kurt Jooss

"A Ball in Old Vienna"

"The gay and gallant life of the 1840's. Sentimental intrigues of fair ladies in crinoline and their ardent wanes, to the entrancing rhythm of the waltz"

     

"Ballade"

"When the Queen sends a poisoned bouquet to the young Marquise, who had been favored by the King's attention, the King, Queen, Marquis, Marquise, Court Ladies and Court Gentlemen dance, from an old French folk-song"

"The Green Table"

"A choreographic figuration on the occurrence of war. Staring from the Dances of Death of the past centuries, it is a surrealistic performance of the destructive power of war"

 Kurt Jooss Ballet Cards

We hope you enjoyed the Jooss Ballet Exhibition

Kurt Jooss (1901-1979) was a German modern dancer and choreographer mixing classical ballet with theatre; he is also widely regarded as the founder of Dance Theatre or Tanztheater. Jooss is noted for establishing several dance companies, including most notably, the Folkwang Tanztheater, in Essen.

Jooss began his career in the 1920s and from 1920 to 1924 studied under and danced lead roles in the choreography of Rudolf von Laban. Jooss used narratives and modern theatre styles to make performable works of Dance Theatre, further developing the work of Laban. Within a year of leaving Laban, Jooss took the opportunity to establish his own dance company called, Die Neue Tanzbühne. It was here Jooss met Fritz A. Cohen, the Jewish composer who worked with Jooss on many of his famous pieces.

Jooss disliked plotless dances and preferred themes that addressed moral issues. Naturalistic movement, large-scale unison and characterization were used by Jooss to address political concerns of the time.

His most important choreographic work, The Green Table (1932), had won first prize at an international competition for new choreography in Paris in 1932. It was a strong anti-war statement, and was made a year before Adolf Hitler became the chancellor of Germany. In 1933 Jooss was forced to flee Germany when the Nazis asked him to dismiss the Jews from his company and he refused. Jooss and Leeder took refuge in Holland before resettling in England.

After touring in Europe and America, Jooss and Leeder opened a school at Dartington Hall in Devon. Jooss left England in 1949 to return to Essen, Germany. Jooss continued to teach and choreograph for 19 years. He retired in 1968 and died 11 years later in 1979 from injuries sustained in an automobile accident. - Wikipedia

Info on Kurt Jooss Bio - Courtesy of Wikipedia