- Pina Bausch. (Courtesy photo)
It was a shock to hear that Pina Bausch, one of the iconic figures in the dance world, died today at age 68, five days after being diagnosed with cancer.
Only last year, the German choreographer, dancer and artistic director came to San Diego to participate in the University of San Diego’s Kyoto Laureate Symposium as a recipient of the 2007 Kyoto Prize. Just days ago, she took her final bow at a performance presented by her company, Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal .
Her works could be aggressive, even violent; quirky yet captivating; masterful and highly theatrical. And she influenced countless choreographers, dancers, stage directors and actors. Above all, she helped redefine modern dance for audiences.
To her, a dancer had to have much more than technique to fully express her choreography.
“Everything must come from the heart, must be lived,” she once said.
She lived fully, from the heart.
You can read more about Bausch here.
And you can watch her dance in this video:
Valerie Scher is the SDNN Arts & Entertainment editor. You can reach her at valerie.scher(at)sdnn.com
Tags: Kyoto Laureate Symposium, Kyoto Prize, Pina Bausch, Pina Bausch died, Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal, SDNN, University of San Diego
Comment by: D W Jacobs Posted: July 1, 2009, 12:12 am
I saw 3 of her pieces in 1984 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. They changed everything for me. It was as if I’d found something I’d been looking for my whole life. Her work gave me courage to explore completely new ways of working that had been lurking somewhere in the background. I’m still trying to integrate her influence. She was a catalyst for so many. You’re right, we don’t really expect someone like that to die. They’ve cuddled into our dreams. How can they go? She created stage imagery that lives indelibly etched in the memories of those who witnessed it. That’s what the stage does best. She knew what to do with a stage. She took her strict classical training and used it to make startling explorations into the unknown. That’s blend is just about as good as it gets. Like Tarkovsky, she was one of the great explorers of that border between conscious and subconscious.
Comment by: Alan Ziter Posted: July 1, 2009, 8:30 am
When Pina Bausch was in San Diego to receive the distinguished Kyoto Prize, she rehearsed members of her Tanztheater Wuppertal at Dance Place San Diego at NTC Promenade. San Diego dancers both old and young were in awe of her as they peered through the windows to catch a glimpse of the rehearsal. The Kyoto Symposium provided San Diego’s dance community a unique opportunity to watch Pina Bausch take her creative process from rehearsal to the stage.