Honoring and Remembering Trudi Schoop

Abstract

O beloved Trudi Schoop died July 14, 1999 at the age of 95. She died peacefully in her sleep at home in Van Nuys, California. Trudi had two careers. In the 1920's and 1930's her comic genius was recognized and celebrated all over the world as she traveled with her international troupe of 20 dancers and 2 pianists. With the spread of fascism, she recognized the coming nightmare and began to use her art as a political weapon. Since many of her dancers were Jewish, she refused (and was not allowed) to dance in Germany after Hitler came to power. Instead, they toured America five times, playing every major city. Then the war broke out, her group disbanded and she returned to Switzerland where she involved herself with the Red Cross and a political cabaret. As the Germans marched relentlessly through Europe, her wishful fantasy led her to dance Hitler as the Dying Swan. A black tutu suggested the uniform of the SS and her face was adorned with a mustache. The German consul was outraged, and her own Swiss government was decidedly nervous. When the terrible war was over she moved to California. It was in the 1950's that she began to reach the "unreachable," chronic psychiatric patients at Camarillo State Hospital. Through her developing work as a dance therapist, dance therapy educator and researcher she became one of the major pioneers of dance therapy. In addition to her practice, teaching, and writing, Trudi made some of the first dance therapy films. There are several hour-long black and white films on "Body Ego Technique." Her book Won't You Join the Dance?—A Dancer's Essay into the Treatment of Psychosis, which she wrote with Peggy Mitchell is a classic, translated into German, Japanese, and other languages.