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Mary was born in Hanover, Germany.
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Mary visited Amsterdam and attended a dance performance by three students of Emile Jaques-Dalcroze. She was fascinated with the way the performers portrayed dance as an expression of life.
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After her visit to Amsterdam, she developed a love for dance and became an expressive choreographer. She enrolled in the Jaques-Dalcroze's school in Dresden-Hellerau. Mary was passionate about dance, however, she was uncomfortable when instructed to perform.
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Mary travelled to Ascona, Switzerland. There she registered for a summer course taught by Rudolf von Laban, one of the pioneers of modern dance in Europe. Mary attended summer and winter courses in the Laban school for the next few year. She also worked as Laban's assistant for a brief time.
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Mary experienced a nervous breakdown and while recovering from it, she choreographed her first group composition, 'Witch Dance', which cemented her dance style and paved her way for a successful career.
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Mary left the Laban School and secluded herself to develop a unique style of dancing. Her movements were independent of any musical notes and could communicate with the audiences directly. She called her new dance style "New German Dance" which could express human emotions.
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She conducted her first professional solo concert in Berlin, followed by performances in Breman and Hanover. Her first shows did not receive positive reviews but she continued to perform. She finally received good reviews in Hamburg.
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Mary opened her own dance school "Dresden Central School" in Dresden. She taught expressionist dance to all of her students and experimented with choreography.
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Mary's dance group gave its first dance performance. She also conducted international tours with them in the later years.
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Mary's solo involved repetitious spinning to highlight the stillness that exists at the center of motion.
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This was her solo for Witch Dance. Mary wore a mask and an ornate robe. She stomped her feet, twitched her torso and crouched to drums, gongs and silence.
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Mary made her first trip to U.K.
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This dance had a series of seven solos. It showed the lighter and lyrical side of Mary's repertory. American audiences favored this piece.
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Mary danced in the United States during her tour. In 1931 and 1933, she conducted two more tours in the U.S.
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Mary's works as an innovative choreographer became an inspiration for communist dance groups in America. At the same time, she was officially honored by the German government for her significant contributions.
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Mary's dance travelled through all of America which lead to the creation of the Mary Wigman school in New York City. Hanya Holm, one of her past students, helped create the school and pass on her dances.
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Dresden Central School operated until 1942 when the Nazi authorities considered her to be a leftist and her dances to be decadent. They closed down her school but when she obeyed the government rule and fired all the Jewish dancers from her schools in Germany, Nazis permitted her to teach in Leipzig during World War II.
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The last work in which Mary appeared as a soloist was "The Dance of Niobe". In this dace, she danced the leading role.
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Mary fled from Germany to West Berlin where she opened a school and also took a job as a guest choreographer. From 1949 until her death in 1973, she taught in West Berlin.
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Mary's last public appearance as a dancer
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Mary's first important production was Handel's Saul at Mannheim Opera House
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Mary's second important production was Orff's ‘Carmina Burana’ at Mannheim Opera House.
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Mary's third and final production was Stravinsky's ‘Sacre du Printemps’ at the Municipal Opera during the Berlin Festival.
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On September 18, 1973, she died in West Berlin, West Germany, at the age of 86.
