Dancers: Filipino Dancer (Devi Dja)

Max Pollak

One of Pollak's few images that does not give the name of the dancer, this appears to be a depiction of the Indonesian-American dancer Misria 'Devi' Dja (1914 - 1989). He nevertheless captures the elegant movement of a woman dancing the Pangalay, an indigenous folk dance that predates the arrival of Abrahamic religions in the Philippines.

At the time of this work's creation, the European art world was experiencing a fast-growing cultural shift in which Asian and African folk arts and dance were major components. The newness of non-European movement was especially significant as the styles of Modern dancers like Isadora Duncan and Elen Tels began gaining popularity. As with all such cultural change, there was a fine line between exchange and exploitation, and while many European dancers went to foreign countries to study the traditional dances of "exotic" cultures, it was rare for a dancer from a foreign country to come to a European metropolis to teach or perform. However, it was not unheard of.

In "Filipino Dancer," the Dja wears traditional clothing and the positions of her hands, feet, and the expression she wears are carefully captured to best present an accurate depiction of Pangalay.