Jula Elenbogen came to Frankfurt as a 16-year-old to become a dancer. In order to continue her dance training she moved in 1928 with her husband, the painter Eric Isenburger, to Vienna. She took lessons in expressionist dance in the dance school Hellerau as well as with Gertrud Kraus. Eric Isenburger designed dance costumes for his wife during this period and in some cases also designed the stage sets for her dance group. In 1931 Jula moved to Berlin to work in Mary Wigman’s dance theatre. When Hitler came to power in 1933 and Eric Isenburger’s art was publicly vilified, the couple left Germany for good. Their first country of exile was France.

In Paris, Jula Isenburger was able to build on her previous success as a dancer. Under the pseudonym Jula Géris she performed with her own program throughout France.  As the political situation worsened with the advance of the German troops, her husband was interned in Les Milles. Having been born in Poland she escaped arrest by the French authorities. After months of uncertainty and waiting, the pair managed to escape in 1941 to the United States. On their arrival there Jula Isenburg ended her dancing career and began working at the Saks Fifth Avenue clothing company. By consciously choosing not to pursue her own career, she allowed her husband to begin his artistic career in America afresh and to work with financial independence.

Further reading:
Distl, Dieter (Hg.): Eric Isenburger 1902 – 1994. Ausgewählte Werke. Neuburg an der Donau: Städtische Galerie am Rathausfletz 1999 (Ausstellungskatalog)