Emmy Ball-Hennings

Born Emma Maria Cordsen in Flensburg, Germany, Emmy Hennings became known as a writer, performer, and one of the key figures around the birth of Dada. She worked as a singer and cabaret artist and, with Hugo Ball, co-founded Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich during World War I, a venue that became the starting point for the Dada movement.

Hennings was more than a supporting presence in that scene. Contemporary accounts and reference sources describe her as a magnetic performer whose songs, readings, and stage presence helped define the atmosphere of the early Zurich performances. Alongside her work in cabaret, she also wrote poetry and prose, building a literary career that reflected both the experimental energy of the era and the difficulties of her own life.

Later in life she continued to write and became known as Emmy Ball-Hennings. Remembered today as a founding Dada artist as well as an important author in her own right, she stands out as a figure whose art grew from performance, resilience, and a refusal to fit neatly into any one role.