Born: 25 May 1879 (Szekszárd, Austro-Hungarian Empire)
Died: 8 June 1978
Biography:
Valéria Dienes (25 May 1879 – 8 June 1978) was a Hungarian philosopher, dancer, dance instructor, choreographer, and one of the first Hungarian women to graduate from university. She is widely considered to be one of the most important Hungarian theorists on movement.
Valéria Geiger was born on 25 May 1879 in Szekszárd, in the Austro-Hungarian Empire to Erzsébet (née Berczelits) and Gyula Geiger. Her father was a journalist, and the Geiger family lived two houses away from her childhood friend Mihály Babits, who would later base some of the characters in his novel Halálfiai on the Geigers.
Valéria began her education at the Mária Mayer-Arlow School in Szekszárd and after completing five courses, she started studying at the State Civilian Girls’ School in 1891. Graduating in 1893, Valéria moved to Györ to study at the State Normal School, where she earned her teacher’s degree in 1897. That same year, she moved to Budapest and enrolled in the three-year Civil-School Teacher Training Course held at 65 Andrássy Avenue, matriculating in 1901.
In 1901, Valéria entered Pázmány Péter Catholic University as a scholarship student of Wlassits College of the National Women’s Training Institute and simultaneously began studying piano at the Budapest Academy of Music. During her time at the university, Valéria focused on aesthetics, mathematics, and philosophy. She graduated in June 1905 with a dual-doctorate from the Philosophy Department in aesthetics and mathematics, becoming the first woman to obtain a PhD from the Philosophy Department with a thesis entitled Valóság-Elméletek (Reality-Theories).
A few months after obtaining her PhD, Valéria married her fellow mathematics student, Pál Dienes. The couple spent the years 1906 and 1907 touring, traveling from Palermo to Tunis. Between 1908 and 1912, they lived in Paris, where Valéria attended classes given by Henri Bergson, watched Isadora Duncan’s performances, and studied Greek classical eurythmy with Raymond Duncan.
Upon returning to Budapest in 1912, Valéria Dienes created and taught a course based on Duncan’s Greek movement ideas. She also began translating the works of Bergson, Alfred Binet, and other scholars. Valéria published an original work in the Galilei Booklets, synthesizing the ideas of Ivan Pavlov and the Würzburg School to propose a reform in the way thought processes were viewed by psychologists. She was the first person in Hungary to introduce the concept of functional psychology and advocate it for childhood development as a means of reforming educational activities.
In 1915, Valéria founded a school called Orkesztika or Orchestrics, incorporating her own ideas of motion. Her system evaluated the interrelationships of dynamics, kinetics, mimetics, and rhythmics, providing students with an understanding of strength and space. Valéria Dienes became known for her innovative approach to teaching eurythmics and her contributions to the field of movement theory.
Valéria Dienes continued her work as a dance instructor, choreographer, and philosopher throughout her life. She left a lasting impact on the field of movement theory, particularly in Hungary. Her dedication to exploring the connection between body and mind, and her pioneering efforts in applying functional psychology to education, greatly influenced her students and the broader Hungarian society.
Awards:
– Baumgarten Prize (1934): Valéria Dienes was the recipient of Hungary’s highest literary award, the Baumgarten Prize in 1934, in recognition of her significant contributions to the field of movement theory and her innovative teaching methods in eurythmics.