Martta Bröyer, 1927

Studio Helander (Ivar Helander) :: Tanssija Martta Bröyer (1897–1979), 1927. | Poem - Vision - Intoxication
#studio helander#women artists#1920s#women in the arts#martta broyer#martta bröyer#dancer#danseuse#Tänzerin#bailarina#bending over forward#bending over#dismay#helander#ivar helander#broyerism#dance poetry#poetic dance#dance poem#Ivar Helander
Studio Helander (Ivar Helander) :: Tanssija Martta Bröyer (1897–1979), 1927. | Poem – Vision – Intoxication

Bröyer, one of the pioneers of modern dance in Finland, created her own controversial style, bröyerism, or Bröyer-style in the 1920s and 1930s, in which dance was accompanied only by poetry recitation, an art form that, in it’s time, had a conflicted reception.
From: Poem – Vision – Flush: A dancedramatic series & Poem – Vision – Intoxication: A dance drama series in which poems used by Bröyer meet contemporary poetry and influences from her movement language are integrated into contemporary dance. Venues: Helsinki City Museum and Burgher’s House Museum

Anitra Karto, late 1930s

Valokuvaamo Tenhovaara (Photo studio Tenhovaara) :: Tanssitaiteilija ja näyttelijä Anitra Karto,1930-luvun loppu. (Dance artist and actress Anitra Karto, late 1930s) | src FHA ~ Museovirasto
Valokuvaamo Tenhovaara (Photo studio Tenhovaara) :: Tanssitaiteilija ja näyttelijä Anitra Karto,1930-luvun loppu. (Dance artist and actress Anitra Karto, late 1930s) | src FHA ~ Museovirasto

Anitra’s dance (Peer Gynt), 1916

Maggie Gripenberg esittää Anitran tanssia Kansallisteatterin ‘Peer Gynt’ -näytelmässä 1916. | Maggie Gripenberg performs Anitra’s dance in the National Theater’s play ‘Peer Gynt’. | src FHA ~ Museovirasto
Maggie Gripenberg esittää Anitran tanssia Kansallisteatterin ‘Peer Gynt’ -näytelmässä 1916. | Maggie Gripenberg performs Anitra’s dance in the National Theater’s play ‘Peer Gynt’. | src FHA ~ Museovirasto

Dancer Taina Helve, 1920s

Atelier Universal :: tanssija Taina Helve oli Maggie Gripenbergin oppilaita, joka 1920-luvulla alkoi pitää omia tanssimatineoitaan Helsingissä, 1920-luku. | Dancer Taina Helve was a student of Maggie Gripenberg, who in the 1920s began to hold her own dance matinees in Helsinki, 1920s. | src FHA – Museovirasto

Portraits of Edith von Bonsdorff

Edith von Bornsdorff pitkältä ulkomaankiertueelta palannena | coming back from a long tour abroad
Tanssitaiteilija (dance artist) Edith von Bonsdoerff, Helsinki, Suomi (Finland), 1920-luku. | src FHA ~ Museovirasto
“Edith von Bornsdorff pitkältä ulkomaankiertueelta palannena” | coming back from a long tour abroad (written on recto)
Tanssitaiteilija (dance artist) Edith von Bonsdoerff, Helsinki, Suomi (Finland), 1920-luku. | src FHA ~ Museovirasto
Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdorff 1910-luvun loppu. | Dancer and choreographer Edith von Bonsdorff,  late 1910s. | src FHA - Museovirasto
portrait
Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdorff 1910-luvun loppu. | Dancer and choreographer Edith von Bonsdorff, late 1910s. | src FHA – Museovirasto
Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdorff 1910-luvun loppu. | Dancer and choreographer Edith von Bonsdorff,  late 1910s. | src FHA - Museovirasto
portrait
Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdorff 1910-luvun loppu. | Dancer and choreographer Edith von Bonsdorff, late 1910s. | src FHA – Museovirasto
Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdorff, 1910-luvun loppu. | Dancer and choreographer Edith von Bonsdorff, late 1910s. | src FHA ~ Museovirasto
Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdorff, 1910-luvun loppu. | Dancer and choreographer Edith von Bonsdorff, late 1910s. | src FHA ~ Museovirasto

Edith von Bonsdorff by Apollo

Atelier Apollo :: Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdoerff (also Bonsdorff, Bonsdörff), 1917-1919. | src FHA ~ Museovirasto
Atelier Apollo :: Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdoerff, 1917-1919. Inscriptions: Edith Helena v. Bonsdorff (1890-1968) os. Andersen’s dance artist, on the back of the picture in the middle. | src Finnish Heritage Agency (Museovirasto)
Atelier Apollo :: Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdoerff (also Bonsdorff, Bonsdörff), 1917-1919. | src FHA ~ Museovirasto
Atelier Apollo :: Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdoerff (also Bonsdorff, Bonsdörff), 1917-1919. | src FHA ~ Museovirasto
Atelier Apollo :: Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdoerff (also Bonsdorff, Bonsdörff), 1917-1919. | src FHA ~ Museovirasto
Atelier Apollo :: Tanssija ja koreografi Edith von Bonsdoerff (Bonsdorff, also Bonsdörff), 1917-1919. | src FHA ~ Museovirasto

Anitra’s dance, 1916

Maggie Gripenberg esittää Anitran tanssia Kansallisteatterin ‘Peer Gynt’ -näytelmässä 1916. | Maggie Gripenberg performs Anitra’s dance in the National Theater’s ‘Peer Gynt’ play in 1916. | src Finnish Heritage Agency – Museovirasto

Martta Bröyer, 1930s

Martta Bröyer created dance performances based on the collection of Finnish folk poems, Kanteletar, among other works, that suited her style based on dance without music, only accompanied by poetry recitation. The Finnish series was presented at the National Theater in 1931. | src Helsinki City Museum ~ Helsingin kaupunginmuseo
Studio Helander :: Finnish dance artist Martta Bröyer in Helsinki 1933. | src Finnish Heritage Agency
Unknown. Martta Bröyer performing her Finnish series in 1931 at the National Theater.
Studio Helander :: Finnish dance artist Martta Bröyer in Helsinki in 1933 (04.11.1933). | src Finnish Heritage Agency & Europeana
Martta Bröyer created dance performances based on the collection of Finnish folk poems, Kanteletar, among other works, that suited her style based on dance without music, only accompanied by poetry recitation. The Finnish series was presented at the National Theater in 1931. | src Helsinki City Museum ~ Helsingin kaupunginmuseo
Martta Bröyer created dance performances based on the collection of Finnish folk poems, Kanteletar, among other works, that suited her style based on dance without music, only accompanied by poetry recitation. The Finnish series was presented at the National Theater in 1931. | src Helsinki City Museum on Fb ~ Helsingin kaupunginmuseo

Bröyerismin paluu – unohdettu runotanssi jälleen näyttämölle

Bröyerism Returns – The forgotten art of ‘poetry dance’ returns on stage

The colourful life and diverse career of dance artist Martta Bröyer (1897–1979) has recently been showcased in the museum’s book about the Burgher’s House, the oldest wooden residential building in central Helsinki. Martta Bröyer inherited the house from her mother, renovated and preserved it, and finally sold it to the City for it to be used as a museum. During the book project, Bröyer’s extensive archives were studied in detail for the first time, and plenty of new information was discovered about her life events. ⁣

A pioneer of modern dance in Finland, Bröyer created her own controversial style, bröyerism, that combined dance with poetry recitation in the 1920s and 1930s. She drew inspiration from Germany, from the school of world-famous Mary Wigman, and developed her own style in the 1920s and 30s based on Wigman’s ideas. Bröyer started to teach the style in her own institute. A dancer and choreographer, Bröyer herself found that her most important career was that of a dance pedagogue. ⁣

The Bröyer style, bröyerism, was based on dance without music, only accompanied by poetry recitation. Reflecting the spirit of her time, Bröyer combined modern dance with national romanticism and created dance performances based on the collection of Finnish folk poems, Kanteletar, among other works. Her contemporaries’ reactions varied: the new style received both praise and harsh, even crushing criticism. Despite this, Bröyer determinedly continued with her style until the 1960s. She received the Pro Finlandia medal for her life’s work in 1956. ⁣

text source: Helsinki City Museum ~ Helsingin kaupunginmuseo

Dancer Sarah Jankelow, 1917

Dancer Sarah Jankelow (1917-52), the pupil of Maggie Gripenberg, 29.12.1917. | src Finnish Heritage Agency ~ Museovirasto
Dancer Sarah Jankelow (1917-52), the pupil of Maggie Gripenberg, 29.12.1917. | src Finnish Heritage Agency ~ Museovirasto
Dancer Sarah Jankelow (1917-52), the pupil of Maggie Gripenberg, 29.12.1917. | src Finnish Heritage Agency ~ Museovirasto
Dancer Sarah Jankelow (1917-52), the pupil of Maggie Gripenberg, 29.12.1917. [images # 1 & # 2] | src Finnish Heritage Agency ~ Museovirasto
Dancer Sarah Jankelow (1917-52), the pupil of Maggie Gripenberg, 29.12.1917. | src Finnish Heritage Agency ~ Museovirasto
Dancer Sarah Jankelow (1917-52), the pupil of Maggie Gripenberg, 29.12.1917. [images # 3 & # 4] | src Finnish Heritage Agency ~ Museovirasto
On images 2, 3 and 4 the blindstamp of Atelier Apollo is partially visible. [above, capture from image # 3]
Tanssitaiteilija Sarah Jankelov. | Suomen Kuvalehti 29.12.1917
Tanssitaiteilija Sarah Jankelov. Newspaper clipping. | Suomen Kuvalehti 29.12.1917 via Twitter