Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Interview with dancers from Wuppertal Opera
Sorry that it is in German, but if you need a translation just let me know.
2012 Cultural Olympiad
Pina Bausch dance cycle to be staged as part of 2012 Cultural Olympiad
Barbican and Sadler's Wells collaborate on ambitious staging of the choreographer's 10 works inspired by cities
Mark Brown
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 9 March 2011 18.23 GMT
Article history
Bamboo Blues, part of Pina Bausch’s season of works to be shown before the London 2012 Olympics. Photograph: Angelos Giotopoulos
One of the final projects that the choreographer Pina Bausch, who died in 2009, was involved in was her most ambitious: an unprecedented season of 10 back-to-back works created as she responded to cities and countries that she visited throughout her long career. The series will be performed in London before the Olympics.
In the first collaboration between Sadler's Wells and the Barbican, the works will be staged in June and July 2012 as a highlight of the Cultural Olympiad. In the world of contemporary dance this is as big as it gets. It is a huge endeavour and something of a logistical nightmare, but Bausch's death has proved a spur to making sure it happens.
Alistair Spalding, the chief executive and artistic director of Sadler's Wells, said: "Both we and the company have used it as a motivator. We've been absolutely determined to make this season happen because, in our eyes, it was almost like it was her last wish."
Spalding said that Bausch was always top of the list when 2012 plans were being discussed. "It was clear to me that if we were going to do anything around the Olympics, then Pina should be involved."
Bausch was a titan in the world of dance, as important as Stravinsky was to music, said Spalding. She became the director of Tanztheater Wuppertal in 1973 and was one of the most influential choreographers of the last century. "She introduced a new way of thinking about dance, a new language, and did things on stage which no one had ever attempted," said Spalding.
Tanztheater Wuppertal's co-artistic director Robert Sturm said the company would soon prepare for what will be a hugely demanding cycle of performances. "It is very exciting, it is a wonderful possibility for both sides – for us to honour Pina and show so many pieces, and for audiences of course. It is a very special thing."
All the pieces are very different. Essentially travelogues, the works were created when Bausch was invited to visit and stay in 10 global locations – in India, Brazil, Palermo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Budapest, Istanbul, Santiago, Rome and Japan – between 1986 and 2009. Seven of the works have not been seen in the UK.
Spalding said: "We're covering quite a long period of creativity during which Pina changed her focus, so there are very stormy, theatrical works and towards the end there's more of a focus on pure dance. People will be able to see a progression in what Pina did."
The idea emerged from a meeting between Bausch and her designer, Peter Pabst, Spalding and Michael Morris, who has produced all of her works in the UK.
"It was the last thing we planned with her and she was very passionate about it," said Morris. "It was something I don't think she ever allowed herself to dream of; it's never been done before. It is a big challenge for the company."
The performances will take place from 6 June to 9 July. As one takes place, the crew will be installing the complex and monumental sets designed by Pabst in the other venue, including the six-metre-high hill of red silk flowers needed for Der Fensterputzer (Hong Kong) and the entirely bricked up stage for Palermo, Palermo.
The season will be the first collaboration between the two London venues – with four performances at the Barbican and six at Sadler's Wells – which are usually friendly rivals. "Hopefully we will continue to work together in the future," said Spalding.
The profile of Bausch outside her hugely loyal fanbase, meanwhile, is likely to widen with the release in April of Wim Wenders's 3D documentary homage to the choreographer, which premiered last month at the Berlin film festival.
Barbican and Sadler's Wells collaborate on ambitious staging of the choreographer's 10 works inspired by cities
Mark Brown
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 9 March 2011 18.23 GMT
Article history
Bamboo Blues, part of Pina Bausch’s season of works to be shown before the London 2012 Olympics. Photograph: Angelos Giotopoulos
One of the final projects that the choreographer Pina Bausch, who died in 2009, was involved in was her most ambitious: an unprecedented season of 10 back-to-back works created as she responded to cities and countries that she visited throughout her long career. The series will be performed in London before the Olympics.
In the first collaboration between Sadler's Wells and the Barbican, the works will be staged in June and July 2012 as a highlight of the Cultural Olympiad. In the world of contemporary dance this is as big as it gets. It is a huge endeavour and something of a logistical nightmare, but Bausch's death has proved a spur to making sure it happens.
Alistair Spalding, the chief executive and artistic director of Sadler's Wells, said: "Both we and the company have used it as a motivator. We've been absolutely determined to make this season happen because, in our eyes, it was almost like it was her last wish."
Spalding said that Bausch was always top of the list when 2012 plans were being discussed. "It was clear to me that if we were going to do anything around the Olympics, then Pina should be involved."
Bausch was a titan in the world of dance, as important as Stravinsky was to music, said Spalding. She became the director of Tanztheater Wuppertal in 1973 and was one of the most influential choreographers of the last century. "She introduced a new way of thinking about dance, a new language, and did things on stage which no one had ever attempted," said Spalding.
Tanztheater Wuppertal's co-artistic director Robert Sturm said the company would soon prepare for what will be a hugely demanding cycle of performances. "It is very exciting, it is a wonderful possibility for both sides – for us to honour Pina and show so many pieces, and for audiences of course. It is a very special thing."
All the pieces are very different. Essentially travelogues, the works were created when Bausch was invited to visit and stay in 10 global locations – in India, Brazil, Palermo, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Budapest, Istanbul, Santiago, Rome and Japan – between 1986 and 2009. Seven of the works have not been seen in the UK.
Spalding said: "We're covering quite a long period of creativity during which Pina changed her focus, so there are very stormy, theatrical works and towards the end there's more of a focus on pure dance. People will be able to see a progression in what Pina did."
The idea emerged from a meeting between Bausch and her designer, Peter Pabst, Spalding and Michael Morris, who has produced all of her works in the UK.
"It was the last thing we planned with her and she was very passionate about it," said Morris. "It was something I don't think she ever allowed herself to dream of; it's never been done before. It is a big challenge for the company."
The performances will take place from 6 June to 9 July. As one takes place, the crew will be installing the complex and monumental sets designed by Pabst in the other venue, including the six-metre-high hill of red silk flowers needed for Der Fensterputzer (Hong Kong) and the entirely bricked up stage for Palermo, Palermo.
The season will be the first collaboration between the two London venues – with four performances at the Barbican and six at Sadler's Wells – which are usually friendly rivals. "Hopefully we will continue to work together in the future," said Spalding.
The profile of Bausch outside her hugely loyal fanbase, meanwhile, is likely to widen with the release in April of Wim Wenders's 3D documentary homage to the choreographer, which premiered last month at the Berlin film festival.
Pina Bausch's Influences
Many of Pina Bausch influences comes from the people that she trained with. Kurt Jooss was a leader in the German Expressionism movement for dance. We was directing the Folkwang Schule in Essen, Germany when Pina Bausch was studying there as a young girl. When she received a scholarship to Julliard in New York, she was influenced by many of her ballet masters. Her teachers a Julliard consisted of Jose Limon, Paul Taylor, Antony Tudor, and Paul Sanasardo. While in New York, she performed for Antony Tudor’s dance company called The Metropolitan Opera Ballet. One of the major influential people That Pina Bausch did not work with, however, was Rudolf von Laban. He was the creator of the performance style “dance theater” and all of Pina Bausch’s work is based off of this performance idea. These people were the major influences that help guide Pina Bausch to understand what movement and performance represented to her and gave her the tools that she need to execute the intentions of her choreography.
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