Mary Wigman

Mary Wigman (1886 – 1973) (born Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann) was a German dancer, choreographer, and instructor of dance. Credited for innovation ofexpressionist dance, and pioneer of modern dance in Germany.Mary Wigman's choreographies often employed non-Western instrumentation: fifes, bells, gongs, and drums from India, Thailand, Africa, and China. However, the primary musical accompaniment for her most well known dances was percussion, which contrasted greatly with her use of silence. Mary would often employ masks in her pieces, influenced again by non-western/tribal motifs, as well as ecstatic spinning.