LISA ULLMANN

Lisa Ullmann was born in Berlin in 1907. She intended to become a painter but was so inspired when she heard Rudolf Laban speaking about movement, that she decided to make dance her career. She enrolled as a student at the Laban School of Lotte Wedekind and after four years of professional training was awarded her Diploma. In 1930 Kurt Jooss invited Lisa to join his teaching staff and she came with the Ballet Jooss to Dartington Hall in Devon and was with them from 1934 to 1940.

In January 1938 Lisa brought back to England an ailing Laban who was welcomed by the Elmhirst family and Jooss at Dartington Hall. Lisa resumed her studies with him and became increasingly interested in the psychological and educational aspects of movement and dance. To further these interests and in order to survive during the early war years, she gave classes in Plymouth and Exeter. When this part of Devon became a defence area Lisa and Laban moved to London and then Manchester. It was in Manchester, in 1946, that she founded the Art of Movement Studio. In 1953, through the generosity of the Elmhirst family, ‘the Studio’ moved to Addlestone in Surrey, providing a movement centre and a place where Laban could continue his research and writing.. Lisa directed ‘the Studio’ until her retirement in 1973.

During these twenty years there was a significant increase in courses on dance and movement offered in schools and colleges. Most of the lecturers and teachers providing these opportunities were trained at ‘The Studio’ and their numbers were a testament to Lisa’s vision and drive to establish Laban’s work in education.

Lisa encouraged students to master Laban’s spatial forms in relation to appropriate dynamic change. Such mastery required comprehensive body management skills as well as acute spatial and dynamic awareness.

Lisa was a prime mover in the foundation of the Laban Guild and the International Council of Kinetography Laban and served both organisations as Chairperson and President. She was responsible for the posthumous publication of Laban’s Choreutics; revised editions of Mastery of Movement and Modern Educational Dance; and the English version of Laban’s pre-war autobiographical reminiscences A Life for Dance. Perhaps her crowning literary achievement was to publish A Vision of Dynamic Space which gives an unique insight into Laban’s extra-ordinary spatial awareness, artistry
and spirituality.

Because of Lisa’s lifelong co-operation with Laban, her profound knowledge of his concepts and her outstanding teaching skills, she was in constant demand as a teacher on the international circuit. Despite these commitments Lisa agreed to be the artistic Director of Laban International Courses. The first L.In.C. course, in 1979, enabled Lisa to continue her work, begun in 1940, of offering a course, based on Laban’s principles of movement, to irrespective of their age or experience. Lisa’s love of dance, her good humour and her sense of fun are well remembered at L.in.C courses. The staff were indebted to her generosity in giving time to staff development and encouraging individuals to find their own way of expressing Laban fundamentals. She continued as Director until her death in January 1985.

Some inspiration for this article comes from the Lisa Ullmann Travelling Scholarship Fund website.