Pina Bausch
Philippina "Pina" Bausch[1] (27 July 1940 – 30 June 2009) was a German performer of modern dance, choreographer, dance teacher and ballet director. With her unique style, a blend of movement, sound, and prominent stage sets, and with her elaborate collaboration with performers during the development of a piece (a style now known as Tanztheater), she became a leading influence in the field of modern dance from the 1970s on. She created the company Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch (de) which performs internationally.
RESOURCES:
BOOKS:
Baxman, I.(1990)Dance Theatre: Rebellion of the Body, Theatre of Images and an Inquiry into the Sense of the Senses.” Ballett International.Vol. 13, no. 10. January: 55–60.
Climenhaga, R. (2009) Pina Bausch, London: Routledge
Hoghe, R. (1980)The Theatre of Pina Bausch.” The Drama Review. Trans. Stephen Tree. T-85: 63–74.
Partsch-Bergsohn, I. (1987) Dance Theatre from Rudolph Laban to Pina Bausch. Dance Theatre Journal. October: 37–39.
FILM:
Pina Bausch: In Search of Dance. Documentary Film.
The Search for Dance: Pina Bauch’s Theatre with a Difference. Documentary Video. Script Direction, Patricia Corboud. Bonn: Inter Nationes, 1994. 28 min.
WEBSITES:
Pina Bausch - Wikipedia
Tanztheater Wuppertal
Pina - Film
Obituary - The Guardian
BOOKS:
Baxman, I.(1990)Dance Theatre: Rebellion of the Body, Theatre of Images and an Inquiry into the Sense of the Senses.” Ballett International.Vol. 13, no. 10. January: 55–60.
Climenhaga, R. (2009) Pina Bausch, London: Routledge
Hoghe, R. (1980)The Theatre of Pina Bausch.” The Drama Review. Trans. Stephen Tree. T-85: 63–74.
Partsch-Bergsohn, I. (1987) Dance Theatre from Rudolph Laban to Pina Bausch. Dance Theatre Journal. October: 37–39.
FILM:
Pina Bausch: In Search of Dance. Documentary Film.
The Search for Dance: Pina Bauch’s Theatre with a Difference. Documentary Video. Script Direction, Patricia Corboud. Bonn: Inter Nationes, 1994. 28 min.
WEBSITES:
Pina Bausch - Wikipedia
Tanztheater Wuppertal
Pina - Film
Obituary - The Guardian
Bausch's work and Contemporary Theatre
" Bausch's work has been compared to that of a wide range of theatre artists and styles. In her use of visual metaphors, critics have seen parallels between her work and the precise visual language employed by Robert Wilson (b1941) ...... Bausch's work has extended the boundaries of what dance and theatre are, an in the process blurred the boundries between both. " (Climenhaga:2009)
Bausch's work and Post Modern
Tanztheatre and Bausch's Dance/Drama meets the criteria for the inclusion in Post Modern.
" It is about expressing feelings. though every piece is different, they are trying to get into certain thing that are difficult to get into words. In the word, everything belongs to everything else" Pina Bausch
"I don’t have a technique. If I knew a better way to do my pieces, I would take it. It’s not a principle. It is important that the base is confidential, that it comes out of a sense of what the dancers offer in confidence. I ask so many questions during the work, but I can’t think of a single one at the moment. The dancers need to have faith to answer what they feel – within the group, in front of everybody. And they need to have the faith that I will do something with it, but with respect, so that I have the freedom to ask them anything. Everybody has the same chances of contributing to the piece.." ( Bausch, 2004)
" During rehearsals Pina Bausch watches. She is very reticent with explanations to the performers. “I don’t want to take your thoughts away from you,” she says and encourages individuals to have their own imagination, to be more like themselves, to dare uncommon ways of thinking. “Just dare to think in all directions.” (Hoghe 1980: 67)
"The steps have always come from somewhere else. They never came from the legs. And working on the movements – we always do that in between. And then we’re always making little dance phrases which we keep in mind. In earlier days I may have started with a movement out of worry or panic, and dodged the questions. Nowadays I start with the questions. (Bausch 1983b: 14)
" Bausch's work has been compared to that of a wide range of theatre artists and styles. In her use of visual metaphors, critics have seen parallels between her work and the precise visual language employed by Robert Wilson (b1941) ...... Bausch's work has extended the boundaries of what dance and theatre are, an in the process blurred the boundries between both. " (Climenhaga:2009)
Bausch's work and Post Modern
Tanztheatre and Bausch's Dance/Drama meets the criteria for the inclusion in Post Modern.
" It is about expressing feelings. though every piece is different, they are trying to get into certain thing that are difficult to get into words. In the word, everything belongs to everything else" Pina Bausch
"I don’t have a technique. If I knew a better way to do my pieces, I would take it. It’s not a principle. It is important that the base is confidential, that it comes out of a sense of what the dancers offer in confidence. I ask so many questions during the work, but I can’t think of a single one at the moment. The dancers need to have faith to answer what they feel – within the group, in front of everybody. And they need to have the faith that I will do something with it, but with respect, so that I have the freedom to ask them anything. Everybody has the same chances of contributing to the piece.." ( Bausch, 2004)
" During rehearsals Pina Bausch watches. She is very reticent with explanations to the performers. “I don’t want to take your thoughts away from you,” she says and encourages individuals to have their own imagination, to be more like themselves, to dare uncommon ways of thinking. “Just dare to think in all directions.” (Hoghe 1980: 67)
"The steps have always come from somewhere else. They never came from the legs. And working on the movements – we always do that in between. And then we’re always making little dance phrases which we keep in mind. In earlier days I may have started with a movement out of worry or panic, and dodged the questions. Nowadays I start with the questions. (Bausch 1983b: 14)
KEY CONCEPTS in Bausch's Process
2. Process over product:
Bausch’s work, however, starts with a base of ideas and feelings, whether derived from an open-ended question posed in rehearsal, or a structured source from which the developmental process emerges. Once that exploratory process begins, it follows its own necessity. This is one reason why working in this way can be so time consuming, because you could keep working forever, always uncovering a new element of the question at hand. (Climenhaga:2009:112)
3. Dance construction and theatre images:
In Bausch, theatrical images that engage real presence are created in rehearsal and structured through dance principles to create a theater of bodily presence. (Climenhaga:2009:115)
4. Reconfiguring Presence
- Setting the Stage:
2. Process over product:
Bausch’s work, however, starts with a base of ideas and feelings, whether derived from an open-ended question posed in rehearsal, or a structured source from which the developmental process emerges. Once that exploratory process begins, it follows its own necessity. This is one reason why working in this way can be so time consuming, because you could keep working forever, always uncovering a new element of the question at hand. (Climenhaga:2009:112)
3. Dance construction and theatre images:
In Bausch, theatrical images that engage real presence are created in rehearsal and structured through dance principles to create a theater of bodily presence. (Climenhaga:2009:115)
4. Reconfiguring Presence
- Time and Space
- Relationship with the audience
- Asking questions
- Developing Images
- Developing moments
- Looking for action - Gesture
- Tempo; Intensity; Repetition
- Structuring: Layering; Dislocating; Densing; Open play