Marshall Cohen’s“Primitivism, Modernism and

Dance Theory”and

Heinrich von Kleist’s“Puppet Theatre”

Simone Maduro & Micah McMillan

Edited by: Dr. Picart and Donna Gallagher17 May 2004

Aims

• To discuss Marshall Cohen’s views on popular theories of primitivism and modernism

• To discuss von Kleist’s presentation of marionettes and dance

Key Terms

• Primitivism—

• Modernism—

• Gesamtkunstwerk—

Summary of Cohen…

• Primitivism (Langer)

• Cohen’s take on this theory

Cohen, cont.

• Modernism (Levin and Greenberg)

• Cohen’s take on this theory

Discussion questions:

• What does Cohen say about the existing theories regarding dance? Why does he say this?

Summary of von Kleist

• Puppets as dancers• Puppeteer as

choreographer• Value of

emotionless entities in dance/art

Discussion questions:

• Does von Kleist suggest that ignorance is bliss? What is the alternative to ignorance, in relation to attaining “grace” in movement?

• Would Cohen classify von Kleist as a primitivist, modernist, or neither? Why?

Works Referenced

• Cohen, Marshall. “Primitivism, Modernism and Dance Theory,” in What is Dance? Roger Copeland and Marshall Copeland, Eds. Oxford University Press, NY. 1983. 161-177.

• von Kleist, Heinrich. “Puppet Theatre,” in What is Dance? Roger Copeland and Marshall Copeland, Eds. Oxford University Press, NY. 1983.

• http://babelfish.altavista.com/babelfish/tr

• http://dictionary.reference.com/