AniÂta Berber, the taboo-bustÂing, sexÂuÂalÂly omnivÂoÂrous, fashÂion forÂward, freÂquentÂly naked star of the Weimar RepubÂlic cabaret scene, tops our list of perÂformÂers we realÂly wish we’d been able to see live.
While Berber actÂed in 27 films, includÂing ProsÂtiÂtuÂtion, direcÂtor Fritz Lang’s Dr. Mabuse: The GamÂbler, and DifÂferÂent from the OthÂers, which film critÂic DenÂnis HarÂvey describes as “the first movie to porÂtray homoÂsexÂuÂal charÂacÂters beyond the usuÂal innuÂenÂdo and ridicule,” we have a strong hunch that none of these appearÂances can comÂpete with the sheer audacÂiÂty of her stage work.
AudiÂences at Berlin’s White Mouse cabaret (some wearÂing black or white masks to conÂceal their idenÂtiÂties) were titÂilÂlatÂed by her ExpresÂsionÂisÂtic nude solo choreÂogÂraÂphy, as well as the troupe of six teenaged dancers under her comÂmand.
As biogÂraÂphÂer Mel GorÂdon writes in The SevÂen AddicÂtions and Five ProÂfesÂsions of AniÂta Berber: Weimar Berlin’s PriestÂess of DepravÂiÂty, Berber, often described as a “stripÂper”, disÂplayed the pasÂsion of a seriÂous artist, “respond(ing) to the audience’s heckÂling with show-stopÂping obscenÂiÂties and indeÂcent provoÂcaÂtions:”
Berber had been known to spit brandy on them or stand naked on their tables, dousÂing herÂself in wine whilst simulÂtaÂneÂousÂly uriÂnatÂing… It was not long before the entire cabaret one night sank into a groundswell of shoutÂing, screams and laughÂter. AniÂta jumped off the stage in fumÂing rage, grabbed the nearÂest chamÂpagne botÂtle and smashed it over a businessman’s head.
Her colÂlabÂoÂraÂtions with her secÂond husÂband, dancer SebasÂtÂian Droste, carÂried Berber into increasÂingÂly transÂgresÂsive terÂriÂtoÂry, both onstage and off.
AccordÂing to transÂlaÂtor MerÂrill Cole, in the introÂducÂtion to the 2012 reisÂsue of Dances of Vice, HorÂror and EcstaÂsy, a book of ExpresÂsionÂist poems, essays, phoÂtographs, and stage designs which Droste and Berber co-authored, “even the bioÂgraphÂiÂcal details seduce:”
…a bisexÂuÂal someÂtimes-prosÂtiÂtute and a shady figÂure from the male homoÂsexÂuÂal underÂworld, unitÂed in addicÂtion to cocaine and disÂdain for bourÂgeois respectabilÂiÂty, both highÂly talÂentÂed, ExpresÂsionÂist-trained dancers, both beauÂtiÂful exhiÂbiÂtionÂists, set out to proÂvide the BabyÂlon on the Spree with the ultiÂmate expeÂriÂence of depravÂiÂty, using an art form they had helped to invent for this purÂpose. Their brief marÂriage and artisÂtic interÂacÂtion endÂed when Droste became desÂperÂate for drugs and abscondÂed with Berber’s jewÂel colÂlecÂtion.
This, and the descripÂtion of Berber’s penÂchant for “haunt(ing) Weimar Berlin’s hotel lobÂbies, nightÂclubs and casiÂnos, radiÂantÂly naked except for an eleÂgant sable wrap, a pet monÂkey hangÂing from her neck, and a silÂver brooch packed with cocaine,” do a far more evocaÂtive job of resÂurÂrectÂing Berber, the Weimar senÂsaÂtion, than any wordy, blow-by-blow attempt to recreÂate her shockÂing perÂforÂmances, though we can’t fault author Karl Toepfer, ProÂfesÂsor EmerÂiÂtus of TheÂater Arts at San Jose State UniÂverÂsiÂty, for tryÂing.
In Empire of EcstaÂsy: NudiÂty and MoveÂment in GerÂman Body CulÂture, 1910–1935, Toepfer draws heavÂiÂly on Czech choreÂoÂgÂraÂphÂer Joe JenÄŤĂk’s eyeÂwitÂness obserÂvaÂtions, to reconÂstruct Berber’s most notoÂriÂous dance, Cocaine, beginÂning with the “omiÂnous scenery by HarÂry TäuÂber feaÂturÂing a tall lamp on a low, cloth-covÂered table:”
This lamp was an expresÂsionÂist sculpÂture with an ambiguÂous form that one could read as a sign of the phalÂlus, an abstracÂtion of the female dancer’s body, or a monÂuÂmenÂtal image of a syringe, for a long, shiny neeÂdle proÂtrudÂed from the top of it…It is not clear how nude Berber was when she perÂformed the dance. JenÄŤĂk, writÂing in 1929, flatÂly statÂed that she was nude, but the famous VienÂnese phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer Madame D’OÂra (Dora Kalmus) took a picÂture entiÂtled “Kokain” in which Berber appears in a long black dress that exposÂes her breasts and whose lacÂing, up the front, reveals her flesh to below her navel.
In any case, accordÂing to JenÄŤĂk, she disÂplayed “a simÂple techÂnique of natÂurÂal steps and unforced posÂes.” But though the techÂnique was simÂple, the dance itself, one of Berber’s most sucÂcessÂful creÂations, was apparÂentÂly quite comÂplex. RisÂing from an iniÂtial conÂdiÂtion of paralÂyÂsis on the floor (or posÂsiÂbly from the table, as indiÂcatÂed by TäuÂber’s scenoÂgraphÂic notes), she adoptÂed a priÂmal moveÂment involvÂing a slow, sculpÂtured turnÂing of her body, a kind of slow-motion effect. The turnÂing repÂreÂsentÂed the unravÂelÂing of a “knot of flesh.” But as the body uncoiled, it conÂvulsed into “sepÂaÂrate parts,” proÂducÂing a variÂety of rhythms withÂin itself. Berber used all parts of her body to conÂstruct a “tragÂic” conÂflict between the healthy body and the poiÂsoned body: she made disÂtinct rhythms out of the moveÂment of her musÂcles; she used “unexÂpectÂed counter-moveÂments” of her head to creÂate an anguished sense of balÂance; her “porceÂlain-colÂored arms” made hypÂnotÂic, penÂduÂlumÂlike moveÂments, like a marÂiÂonetÂte’s; withÂin the priÂmal turnÂing of her body, there appeared conÂtraÂdicÂtoÂry turns of her wrists, torÂso, ankles; the rhythm of her breathÂing flucÂtuÂatÂed with draÂmatÂic effect; her intense dark eyes folÂlowed yet anothÂer, slowÂer rhythm; and she introÂduced the “most refined nuances of agiliÂty” in makÂing spasms of senÂsaÂtion ripÂple through her finÂgers, nosÂtrils, and lips. Yet, despite all this comÂplexÂiÂty, she was not afraid of seemÂing “ridicuÂlous” or “painfulÂly swollen.” The dance conÂcludÂed when the conÂvulsed dancer attemptÂed to cry out (with the “blood-red openÂing of the mouth”) and could not. The dancer then hurled herÂself to the floor and assumed a pose of motionÂless, drugged sleep. Berber’s dance draÂmaÂtized the intense ambiÂguÂiÂty involved in linkÂing the ecstaÂtÂic libÂerÂaÂtion of the body to nudiÂty and rhythÂmic conÂsciousÂness. The dance tied ecstaÂtÂic expeÂriÂence to an encounter with vice (addicÂtion) and horÂror (acute awareÂness of death).
A noble attempt, but forÂgive us if we can’t quite picÂture it…
And what litÂtle eviÂdence has been preÂserved of her screen appearÂances exists at a simÂiÂlar remove from the dark subÂject matÂter she explicÂitÂly refÂerÂenced in her choreÂoÂgraphed work — MorÂphine, SuiÂcide, The Corpse on the DisÂsectÂing Table…
Cole opines:
There are a numÂber of narÂraÂtive accounts of her dances, some pinned by proÂfesÂsionÂal critÂics, and almost all comÂmendÂing her talÂent, finesse, and mesÂmerÂizÂing stage presÂence. We also have film images from the varÂiÂous silent films in which she played bit parts. There exist, too, many still phoÂtographs of Berber and Droste, as well as renÂdiÂtions of Berber by othÂer artists, most promiÂnentÂly the Dadaist Otto Dix’s famous scarÂlet-satÂuÂratÂed porÂtrait. In regard to the naked dances, unforÂtuÂnateÂly, we have no movÂing images, no way to watch directÂly how they were perÂformed.
For a dishy overview of AniÂta Berber’s perÂsonÂal life, includÂing her alleged dalÂliances with actress MarÂlene DietÂrich, author Lawrence DurÂrell, and the King of Yugoslavia, her influÂenÂtial effect on direcÂtor Leni RiefenÂstahl, and her sad demise at the age of 29, a “carÂrion soul that even the hyeÂnas ignored,” take a peek at VicÂtoÂria Linchong’s bioÂgraphÂiÂcal essay for Messy Nessy Chic, or betÂter yet, Iron Spike’s TwitÂter thread.
Berber was addictÂed to alcoÂhol, cocaine, opiÂum, and morÂphine. But one of her favorite drugs was chloÂroÂform and ether, mixed in a bowl. She would stir the bowl with the bloom of a white rose, and then eat the petals.
Have you ever heard anyÂthing so extra in your ENTIRE LIFE. pic.twitter.com/sh9xL3it0E
— Iron Spike (@Iron_Spike) JanÂuÂary 11, 2020
- Ayun HalÂlÂiÂday is the Chief PriÂmaÂtolÂoÂgist of the East VilÂlage Inky zine and author, most recentÂly, of CreÂative, Not Famous: The Small PotaÂto ManÂiÂfesto. FolÂlow her @AyunHalliday.
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