Pina Bausch . Meryl Tankard

47 years after its world premiere, Pina Bausch's Kontakthof returns to the stage with the dancers from back then. Between memory and poetry, Meryl Tankard takes us on a journey through time into the history of dance.

Dance Today, Kontakthof is considered one of Pina Bausch's key works. When the piece was created in 1978 and premiered in Wuppertal, the choreographer was still on the verge of her breakthrough. It has since been performed in over 20 countries and is considered a ‘masterpiece’ (New York Times). Now, 47 years later, choreographer Meryl Tankard, herself one of the protagonists of the original cast, is developing a new encounter with Kontakthof. Nine of the original dancers return to their roles, turning Kontakthof – Echoes of ‘78 into a journey into the past. Projections of archive material from the original production show all the dancers involved at the time, including those who are no longer on stage today. The result is a prism of memories and reality, youth and age – including all the gaps that the years have left behind.

Pina Bausch is one of the most important choreographers of our time. In 1973, she founded the Tanztheater Wuppertal, with which she has significantly influenced the international development of contemporary dance.

CAST & CREDITS

A production by Sadler's Wells, Pina Bausch Foundation, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch.
Meryl Tankard conception, staging, Rolf Borzik original stage and costumes, -videography, Elisabeth Clarke, Josephine Ann Endicott, Lutz Förster, John Giffin, Ed Kortlandt, Beatrice Libonati, Anne Martin, Arthur Rosenfeld, Meryl Tankard dance

A co-production with Amare (The Hague), LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura,
Festspielhaus St. Pölten, Seongnam Arts Centre and China Shanghai
International Arts Festival