"In the art of dance body, emotion and mind move and challenge each other and fuel creativity." (Ilse Loesch)

The German dancer and dance teacher studied with Rudolf von Laban and worked with Jenny Gertz for a long time. In her work with disabled students, movement choirs, adolescents, drama students and children she aimed to emphasise the holistic aspect of dance and movement, thus actively supporting the personal evolution of her students.

The German writer and pianist, who was also known under the pseudonyms Dr. P. van Noorden and Dr. E. Gerhard, wrote several papers on dance, Ballett gestern und heute (Berlin 1957), Tanz der Völker (Berlin 1972) and Die Tanzkunst Indiens (Berlin 1981) among them.

The Swiss Rudolf Liechtenhan was an internationally acclaimed ballet specialist. Through his work as a dance critic and publisher he was well-connected in the world of dance. He also worked as a dramatic adviser at different Opera Houses, e.g. with John Cranko in Stuttgart, John Neumeier in Hamburg and, more recently, with Uwe Scholz in Leipzig.

The German dancer, choreographer and dance teacher started out as one of Kurt Jooss’s students at the Folkwang-Schule in Essen before studying modern dance and jazz dance with F. Wagner at the New York Graham School. When teaching, Traguth advocates a synthesis of modern dance and jazz dance.

Following her dance training in Germany and abroad and having studied with Paul Krebs in Nuremberg, among others, Gertrude Krombholz has been working as a lecturer for dance for prospective sport teachers since 1962 as well as with students, children, adolescents, senior citizens and disabled persons.

GDR State Folklore Ensemble Collection (until 1972 GDR State Village Ensemble of the GDR)

This permanent loan from the Potsdam Federal Archive probably holds the entire legacy of the dance ensemble, including their chronicle, newspaper articles, magazines, programmes, preparatory notes for the reprint of Herbert Buch’s Der deutsche Volkstanz, slides, photographs, tapes and films.

GDR State Dance Ensemble Collection (until 1962 State Folk Art Ensemble of the GDR)

This permanent loan from the Potsdam Federal Archive includes material on the ensemble’s scientific documentation facility used by choreographers preparing different dances. There are documents on geography and history, dance forms and families, methods, folk dances as well as recordings, photographs and newspaper articles.

Herbert Burchard was born in 1908 in Gommern near Magdeburg. Although he worked as an electrical chief engineer, he took a great theoretical and practical interest in folk dance, folklore, amateur and social dancing. Herbert Burchard focused on the different eras and classes of dance and acted as director of the Dessau Dance Circle from 1927 to 1932.

German dance teacher Dorothea Anger was the creative director of the dance ensemble of the central ‚FDJ’ student club of Dresden University. She had studied pedagogy, sport, mathematics and physics and taken dance lessons with Mary Wigman.

In an outstanding achievement Herbert Oetke compiled the most detailed and extensive work on German folk dance to date. Der deutsche Volkstanz was published in two volumes in the spring of 1983.