The Most Famous
DANCERS from Germany
This page contains a list of the greatest German Dancers. The pantheon dataset contains 76 Dancers, 3 of which were born in Germany. This makes Germany the birth place of the 8th most number of Dancers behind United Kingdom and Ukraine.
Top 3
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary German Dancers of all time. This list of famous German Dancers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Pina Bausch (1940 - 2009)
With an HPI of 68.76, Pina Bausch is the most famous German Dancer. Her biography has been translated into 39 different languages on wikipedia.
Philippine "Pina" Bausch (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German dancer and choreographer who was a significant contributor to a neo-expressionist dance tradition now known as Tanztheater. Bausch's approach was noted for a stylized blend of dance movement, prominent sound design, and involved stage sets, as well as for engaging the dancers under her to help in the development of a piece, and her work had an influence on modern dance from the 1970s forward. Her work, regarded as a continuation of the European and American expressionist movements, incorporated many expressly dramatic elements and often explored themes connected to trauma, particularly trauma arising out of relationships. She created the company Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, which performs internationally.
2. Mary Wigman (1886 - 1973)
With an HPI of 58.46, Mary Wigman is the 2nd most famous German Dancer. Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
Mary Wigman (born Karoline Sophie Marie Wiegmann; 13 November 1886 – 18 September 1973) was a German dancer and choreographer, notable as the pioneer of expressionist dance, dance therapy, and movement training without pointe shoes. She is considered one of the most important figures in the history of modern dance. She became one of the most iconic figures of Weimar German culture and her work was hailed for bringing the deepest of existential experiences to the stage.
3. Kurt Jooss (1901 - 1979)
With an HPI of 51.41, Kurt Jooss is the 3rd most famous German Dancer. His biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Kurt Jooss (12 January 1901 – 22 May 1979) was a famous German ballet dancer and choreographer mixing classical ballet with theatre; he is also widely regarded as the founder of Tanztheater. Jooss is noted for establishing several dance companies, including most notably, the Folkwang Tanztheater, in Essen.
Pantheon has 3 people classified as dancers born between 1886 and 1940. Of these 3, none of them are still alive today. The most famous deceased dancers include Pina Bausch, Mary Wigman, and Kurt Jooss. As of April 2022, 1 new dancers have been added to Pantheon including Kurt Jooss.
Deceased Dancers
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Newly Added Dancers (2022)
Go to all RankingsWhich Dancers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 3 most globally memorable Dancers since 1700.
