Pina Bausch

Pina Bausch was born in Solingen in 1940 and died in Wuppertal in 2009. She studied dance at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen under the direction of Kurt Jooss, where she acquired an excellent dance technique. When Arno Wüstenhöfer, artistic director of Wuppertal’s municipal theatres, employed her as a choreographer in 1973/74, she soon renamed the dance company Tanztheater Wuppertal. Although the company’s beginnings were controversial, it gained a world-wide renown over the years under this name. Her connection of poetical elements with everyday life influenced the development of international dance. Distinguished by the highest awards and tributes across the globe, Pina Bausch is considered to be one of the most influential choreographers of our times.