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Essay / The choreographies of Pina Bausch: a psychoanalytic and reader response approach
As most of us already know, dance is a very expressive art form. Inspiration for choreography can be found everywhere. Yet the most important elements of a dance are its meaning, its influence on the audience, and the message it is trying to communicate. Pina Bausch was one of the world's best choreographers, who managed to create some of the most significant choreography in dance history. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essay Pina Bausch was born in Germany and she was a modern dance performer, choreographer, dance teacher and dance director ballet. In 1970, she began to be the most important influence in the field, as one of the leading choreographers who had the courage to develop works in a style known as Tanztheater ("Dance Theater") ). She was unique in her style because she managed to perfectly combine the elements of sound and movement and because her choreographies generated a lot of emotion among both the dancers and the audience. Looking at a choreography by Pina Bausch, one can easily notice that it is so complex and meaningful. Then questions appear. What is his inspiration? How can a human being create such works of art that contain the deepest feelings of the human mind and body? What are its objectives? Well, there are answers, fortunately. As Eleonore Bayles asserted in her thesis entitled Psyche Incarnate; An exploration of modern dance through a psychological lens, Pina Bausch's choreographies have, on several occasions, been defined as psychological, as psychoanalysis and Bausch's choreographies "explore the human condition through similar questions and search for meaning in virtually the same way” (Bayles, 87). Bausch admitted that his works were born from his feelings, emotions and experiences. She said: “I loved dancing because I was afraid to speak. When I moved, I could feel. (Bayles, 10 years old). Furthermore, when the choreographer was asked what inspires her, besides her own life, she replied that the greatest inspiration lies not only in her personal experience, but that she even spent weeks and years months trying to make his dancers express their deep feelings and use them. as a backdrop for choreography. “I am not interested in the movement of my dancers, but in what moves them” (Bayles, 79-80). One can easily observe that the relationship between her and her dancers was not just a teacher-student relationship, it was deeper than that. “His entire choreographic process was actually quite similar to psychological therapy, in which individuals explore their unconscious thoughts and emotions. The Bausch process was a continuous exploration. Even its final product was not considered absolute, but rather an integral part of the choreographic process” (Bayles, 80). The daily routine of the Bausch dancers consisted of this: their only ballet class took place in the morning; they spent the rest of the day in Bausch's studio, where they were asked questions until the end of the day. The process could take place in different ways: sometimes Bausch would choose a theme for the questions, sometimes it was up to the dancers to decide how they wanted to respond, but other times Bausch would impose a certain way of responding. Some of them "could create a movement segment in response to his questions, while otherscould just sit down and talk with her about their ideas on the subject” (Bayles, 89). It was a very profound psychoanalytic process of discovery of the inner self and the external world. “Why is it called “LA”? » » was one of Pina Bausch's questions for the work Nur Du. The answer was: “Something kitsch.” But then she said, “Do something that leads with your elbow.” » “Spell Los Angeles with your body.” (Daly, 20 years old; Bayles, 90 years old). Dominique Mercy was one of her dancers and she said: “She looks for material that belongs deeply and uniquely to each individual. She wants us. » (Daly, 20 years old; Bayles, 90 years old) Therefore, as the choreographies are full of emotion and shape his personality and that of his dancers, they of course generate an incredible response from the audience. Furthermore, stating that Pina Bausch's goal was to combine theater and dance, it is obvious that the performances had the best result: the audience completely lost themselves in the dances and their story. Absorbed by the feelings expressed in the performances, they begin to reflect on their own lives. “For many audiences, watching a Pina Bausch play is an inner roller coaster, an experience of inner reflection and questioning…” (Bayles, 79) Perhaps one of his goals was even to bring the public what his dancers had experienced. Pina Bausch wanted the public to ask questions, find answers, find themselves and analyze them. Even watching a documentary film about his life and career or a video on Youtube.com with a performance, someone is able to step out of where he is at the moment and fully lose himself in the movements, in struggles and, of course, in the history of dance. We can experience a great emotional process which emerges from the video. All of his works contain messages and stories so deep that it's impossible not to go with the flow. For example, in “The Rite of Spring,” the show begins with a woman lying on a red cloth. No one else is on stage. Then another woman comes running and bares her body, which may be a sign of the desire to show the world the true picture of her life and personality, to show that SHE is real. More and more women are appearing, each of them with a unique message to convey. They don't move the same way, each of them has their own movement and style, which once again highlights the fact that Pina Bausch did a great job shaping their unique personalities on stage. As the performance continues, the movements, low and fluid, become fixed, more intense, more expressive. Everything seems to change when the woman lying on the red fabric leaves it on the ground. They begin to move in the same way, their movements severe and painful. Even more, the music, the song “The Rite of Spring” by Igor Stravinsky, gives the dance an even more pressing state. All this generates intense emotions among the public. The dancers keep the audience there and their hearts start beating faster and faster. When men enter the scene, everything changes. The relationship between men and women is being shaped. Then, again, all attention turns to the red material, as everyone and all feelings move around her. As a result, after watching one of Bausch's choreographies, "many audiences found that they connected to his work on an emotional level they had never encountered before." Perhaps it’s because Bausch’s work was made for the present moment.” (Bayles, 102-103). Pina Bausch addressing everyone, she chose to address no.