Pina Bausch
Biography
Philippina "Pina" Bausch was born on the 27th of July in 1940, and died on 30th June 2009. She was a German performer of modern dance, choreographer, dance teacher and ballet director. She had a unique style, a cobination of movement, sound, and noteworthy stage sets as well as elaborate collaborations with performers during the development of Tanztheater, which all led to her becoming a leading influence in the modern dance field during the 1970s and onwards. She developed the company Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch (de) which performs around the world.
At a young age she learned to observe people, as well as the prime factors that drive them, as she helped her parents run their restaurant. Her early childhood's atmosphere seemed to impact her later pieces; music is heard, people come and go, and talk of their longing for hapiness. Although her early experiences of the war can also be seen in the pieces, in sudden outbursts of panic, and fear of an unknown danger.
She began studying dance at the Folkwang School in Essen with Kurt Jooss, his teaching techniques allowed her to learn techniques for free creative expression as well as the command of a clear form. In 1958 she was awarded the Folkwang Leistungspreis and she spent a year as a 'Special Student' at Juilliard in New York, where she worked with many significant dancers.
Her working methods
She changed her working methods in 1978, Bausch was invited by Peter Zadek, the director of the Bochum theatre, to develop her own version of Macbeth, she found herself in a tough situation. A big portion of her group chose not to work with her anymore due to lack of conventional danching in her pieces. Therefore, she cast the Bochum guest performance with only 4 dancers, 5 actors and 1 singer. She was unable to position choreographic steps with this group so she started to ask her performers associative questions surrounding the play's themes. The outcome of this combined investigation was presented on April 22nd 1978 in Bochum, which was titled 'Er nimmt sie an der Hand und führt sie in das Schloss, die andern folgen' , meaning 'He takes her by the hand and lead her into the castle, the others follow', which was almost drowned out by the storm of the audience's protest.
Although by making this strange move, she finally found the form her work would take, which is dream-like, poetic imagery and bodily language which explains her international success that she shortly acheived. By taking people's key emotions as its beginning point - their fears and needs, wishes and desires - the Tanztheater Wuppertal was able to be understood internationally and it sparked a global choreographic revolution.
The secret of this success may be due to that Bausch's dance theatre risked taking a fearless look at reality, although at the same time invited us to dream. It includes the spectators' everyday lives seriously although at the same time encourages them to hope that everything could change for the better. For their part, they are needed to take responsibility themselves. All the individuals in her pieces can do is try out, with the uttermost honesty and accuracy, what brings each and everyone closer to happiness, and what drives them away from it; they can't offer a panacea. Although they always leave their public in the certainty that, regardless of all its ups and downs, they will get through life.
From Dance theatre to World theatre
The international development of dance theatre led to many worldwide co-productions for the Tanztheater Wuppertal. The work which was once controversial, in the end developed into a world theatre, which can include all cultural colourations and treats each individual with equal respect. Its a theatre that doesn't aim to preach, it created an elemental experience of life instead which each viewer is invited to participate in along with the dancers. This global theatre is generous, relaxed in its perspective of the world and utterly pleasing towards its viewers. It invites them to make peace with life and trust their bravery to carry on living and their own strength. A moderator amongst cultures, its a messenger of freedom and common undertsanding. Its a theatre that remains free of all ideology and beliefs, viewing the world with minimalistic prejudice and acknowledging life, in all its aspects. The Tanztheater Wuppertal has no responsibilities other than to humans and therefore to a humanism which identifies no borders.
Philippina "Pina" Bausch was born on the 27th of July in 1940, and died on 30th June 2009. She was a German performer of modern dance, choreographer, dance teacher and ballet director. She had a unique style, a cobination of movement, sound, and noteworthy stage sets as well as elaborate collaborations with performers during the development of Tanztheater, which all led to her becoming a leading influence in the modern dance field during the 1970s and onwards. She developed the company Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch (de) which performs around the world.At a young age she learned to observe people, as well as the prime factors that drive them, as she helped her parents run their restaurant. Her early childhood's atmosphere seemed to impact her later pieces; music is heard, people come and go, and talk of their longing for hapiness. Although her early experiences of the war can also be seen in the pieces, in sudden outbursts of panic, and fear of an unknown danger.
She began studying dance at the Folkwang School in Essen with Kurt Jooss, his teaching techniques allowed her to learn techniques for free creative expression as well as the command of a clear form. In 1958 she was awarded the Folkwang Leistungspreis and she spent a year as a 'Special Student' at Juilliard in New York, where she worked with many significant dancers.
Her working methods She changed her working methods in 1978, Bausch was invited by Peter Zadek, the director of the Bochum theatre, to develop her own version of Macbeth, she found herself in a tough situation. A big portion of her group chose not to work with her anymore due to lack of conventional danching in her pieces. Therefore, she cast the Bochum guest performance with only 4 dancers, 5 actors and 1 singer. She was unable to position choreographic steps with this group so she started to ask her performers associative questions surrounding the play's themes. The outcome of this combined investigation was presented on April 22nd 1978 in Bochum, which was titled 'Er nimmt sie an der Hand und führt sie in das Schloss, die andern folgen' , meaning 'He takes her by the hand and lead her into the castle, the others follow', which was almost drowned out by the storm of the audience's protest.
Although by making this strange move, she finally found the form her work would take, which is dream-like, poetic imagery and bodily language which explains her international success that she shortly acheived. By taking people's key emotions as its beginning point - their fears and needs, wishes and desires - the Tanztheater Wuppertal was able to be understood internationally and it sparked a global choreographic revolution.
The secret of this success may be due to that Bausch's dance theatre risked taking a fearless look at reality, although at the same time invited us to dream. It includes the spectators' everyday lives seriously although at the same time encourages them to hope that everything could change for the better. For their part, they are needed to take responsibility themselves. All the individuals in her pieces can do is try out, with the uttermost honesty and accuracy, what brings each and everyone closer to happiness, and what drives them away from it; they can't offer a panacea. Although they always leave their public in the certainty that, regardless of all its ups and downs, they will get through life.
From Dance theatre to World theatre The international development of dance theatre led to many worldwide co-productions for the Tanztheater Wuppertal. The work which was once controversial, in the end developed into a world theatre, which can include all cultural colourations and treats each individual with equal respect. Its a theatre that doesn't aim to preach, it created an elemental experience of life instead which each viewer is invited to participate in along with the dancers. This global theatre is generous, relaxed in its perspective of the world and utterly pleasing towards its viewers. It invites them to make peace with life and trust their bravery to carry on living and their own strength. A moderator amongst cultures, its a messenger of freedom and common undertsanding. Its a theatre that remains free of all ideology and beliefs, viewing the world with minimalistic prejudice and acknowledging life, in all its aspects. The Tanztheater Wuppertal has no responsibilities other than to humans and therefore to a humanism which identifies no borders.
Excellent information that will serve as a useful basis for your research if you decide to study this genre further, well done. You have not only included biographical details, but also working methods and the impact Bausch had on the world of theatre.
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