Pina Bausch, 1940-2009

The renowned German choreographer Pina Bausch has died. The death of the artist, a revolutionary figure in dance, comes as a great loss to both the world of dance and the international arts community. “Pina Bausch continually pushed the boundaries of what we call dance,” said John Neumeier, director of the Hamburg Ballet. “I simply cannot imagine a successor. ... ”

Reuters:

German choreographer Pina Bausch, whose work is credited with revolutionizing the language of modern dance, died on Tuesday after being diagnosed with cancer only days earlier. She was 68 years old.

Bausch, artistic director of the Wuppertal Dance Theater, earned world renown for her avant-garde performances and choreographies mixing dance, sound and fragmented narrative.

“Just the Sunday before last, she was standing on stage with her company in the Wuppertal Opera house,” the dance-theater company, which she had led since 1973, said on its website.

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Here’s a video of one of her famous choreographies, “Cafe Muller.” She rarely performed on stage, but can be seen here dancing in the white dress.

YouTube:

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