GDR dance music and resistance: The cultural battle over the Lipsi!

GDR dance music and resistance: The cultural battle over the Lipsi!

On July 12, 2025, the curtain fell in Berlin – and not without a stir. The “1st Lauchhammer Dance Music Conference”, an important event in GDR history that was launched in 1959, is being given an exciting new interpretation at the TD Berlin. The research theater group Lunatiks has evaluated the conference documents and is bringing the events to the stage in a documentary-fictional reenactment.

The dance music conference was convened by the SED to raise socialist entertainment culture to a new level. The Lipsi, a dance style born out of the desire to create a German counterpart to American rock'n'roll, was intended to curb the creeping influence of Western music on the political consciousness of GDR citizens. The idea came from Walter Ulbricht, who courageously sought international fame.

The Lipsi and his ambitions

The Lipsi, invented by René Dubianski, combines waltz time with a unique 6/4 time and was quickly celebrated as a prime example of socialist national culture. It was originally supposed to be in the cultural centers of the GDR until May 1959. While the state media, especially the party publication “Neues Deutschland”, praised the new dance as modern and harmonious, acceptance among young people remained rather cautious - rock'n'roll was clearly preferred. Despite the SED's efforts to make the Lipsi popular, this dance disappeared into obscurity after a short time.

What makes the production so special? It brings the audience directly into the action of the conference, as participants who can vote and get actively involved. Five actors take on different roles and parody the debates of the time. This not only brings the past to life, but also raises the question: Can art really be ordered from above?

A look at the GDR music scene

The production also addresses the developments in GDR art between 1959 and 1989, including the expatriation of Wolf Biermann and the bans on the band Pankow. Under the influence of the SED government, a constant struggle for musical freedom arose. While beat music enjoyed short-term popularity in the 1960s, numerous groups were banned because of perceived aggression. The SED saw Western music as a threat to socialist ideals and tried to secretly change it according to their norms.

The appearance of Western performers and the increasing interest in rock music ultimately became heavily regulated. It was not unusual for around 160,000 fans to come together at a Bruce Springsteen concert in the GDR in 1988. It was all the more astonishing that the first rock bands, like the Puhdys, achieved a certain freedom in their performance.

The question of whether music and art can be measured and planned remains a central topic today. It is clear that true creativity cannot thrive in the corridors of political agendas, but rebellion and creative expression will always find their place, even in restrictive systems. And that's exactly what the production impressively brings to the stage.

So the evening remains an exciting reflection on the interconnections of music, politics and society - and the same applies to the question of where our art really stands and is going. An interesting evening that broadens the view of the cultural history of the GDR and brings the people of this time to life.