Pina Bausch’s death in 2009, just five days after she was diagnosed with cancer, left her dancers in shock and her company facing a shaky future. Other choreographers, notably Merce Cunningham, set down detailed instructions to protect their legacies; Bausch, the sole dancemaker of the troupe that bears her name, made no such plans.
Preserve, create, innovate: that’s the mission statement of any great company, and in the decade since Bausch’s death Tanztheater Wuppertal has been taking its safeguarding duties seriously. But no group can survive on its back catalogue alone, however extraordinary, and two years ago the company took a step into the unknown by commissioning two full-length pieces by guest choreographers. Last night, Londoners glimpsed work one, by Greek visual artist Dimitris Papaioannou, for the first time. But is it still Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch without Pina Bausch?
Papaioannou, the creative force behind the 2004 Athens Olympics opening ceremony, is a self-declared Bausch superfan, and from the opening moments it’s clear that Since She is brimming with nostalgia for her work. Dance-lovers will likely enjoy playing Pina bingo with the motifs on offer: gowns and eveningwear (tick); Café Müller-esque black chairs (tick); impressive dreamscape set (tick).
Papaioannou trained as a painter so it’s no surprise that narrative has been ditched for surreal tableaux, some quite breathtaking. A black dress turns gold as it is sensuously stroked, a paper gown appears to dance on its own before being ripped off. A tree is dragged up a mountain of grey foam, its branches hacked off; a table rocked by dancers is sent plummeting to the ground. There are references to everything from Medusa and Nosferatu to traditional circus, with music as diverse as Wagner and Tom Waits.
Chaotic but focused, whimsical yet wry, Since She often defies characterisation. Much like the mighty Bausch herself.
