Press Release: Sadler's Wells - Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch: 1980 - A Piece by Pina Bausch: 7 - 16 February 2014

[Jan McNulty]

Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch
1980 - A Piece by Pina Bausch
Friday 7 - Sunday 16 February 2014          
Performances at 7.30pm            
Tickets: £12 - £60
Ticket Office: 0844 412 4300 or www.sadlerswells.com  

“Miss Bausch's use of space is psychologically brilliant and it is also visually stunning” New York Times

In its 40^th anniversary season, Tanztheater Wuppertal returns to Sadler’s Wells from 7 - 16 February to perform the first piece that Pina Bausch brought to London in 1982; 1980 - A Piece by Pina Bausch. The performances of 1980 are part of a continuing relationship with the Company that sees it perform at Sadler’s Wells annually.

Rarely performed, the piece was created following the death of Bausch’s professional and romantic partner Ralf Borzik, who played a key role in the forming of the visual style of Tanztheater. Featuring an astoundingly diverse score including works by Beethoven, Debussy, Elgar and Brahms, it is a wistful elegy, dealing with nostalgia, childhood, life and death.

Pina Bausch was born in Solingen, 1940 and died in Wuppertal, 2009. She received her dance training at the Folkwang School in Essen under Kurt Jooss, where she achieved technical excellence. Soon after the director of Wuppertal’s theatres Arno Wüstenhöfer engaged her as choreographer, from autumn 1973 she renamed the ensemble Tanztheater Wuppertal. Under this name, Bausch’s initially controversial fusion of radical theatre, surreal art, drama and danced body language, known as Tanztheater, gradually achieved international recognition for the company.

Her original approach to theatre and dance influenced the international development of dance decisively and inspired not only a generation of choreographers, but also theatre makers, visual artists and filmmakers. Pina Bausch is one of the most significant choreographers of our time, she created 46 pieces in a career spanning 36 years and was awarded some of the greatest prizes and honours worldwide.

The performances of 1980 come at a time that sees Tanztheater Wuppertal under new artistic directorship from Lutz Förster, a close colleague of Pina Bausch and long-term ensemble member.

Contains nudity

 

 

Notes to Editors

During its 2014 season the Company is celebrating 40 years of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, titled PINA40. The full programme of events can be found at www.pina40.de