Topic > Pina Bausch's choreographies: a psychoanalytic and reader-response approach

As many of us already know, dance is a very expressive art form. Inspiration for a choreography can be found everywhere. However, the most important parts of a dance are its meaning, its influence on the audience and the message it seeks to communicate. Pina Bausch was one of the best choreographers in the world, managing to create some of the most significant choreographies in the history of dance. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Pina Bausch was born in Germany and was a modern dance performer, choreographer, dance teacher, and ballet director. In 1970 he began to have the most important influence in this field, as he represented one of the main choreographers who had the courage to develop works in a style known as Tanztheater (“Dance Theatre”). She was unique in her style, because she was able to perfectly combine elements of sound and movement and because her choreographies generated so many sensations in both the dancers and the audience. Looking at a choreography by Pina Bausch, one can easily notice how complex and meaningful it is. Then the questions appear. What is your 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 goals? Well, the answers are there, fortunately. As Eleonore Bayles stated in her thesis entitled Psyche Incarnate; an exploration of modern dance through a psychological lens, Pina Bausch's choreographies have, more than once, been called psychological, as both psychoanalysis and Bausch's choreographies “explore the human condition through similar questions and seek meaning in practically identical ways” (Bayles , 87). Bausch admitted that his works arise from his feelings, emotions and experiences. She said: “I liked dancing because I was afraid to speak. When I moved, I could feel.” (Bayles, 10). Furthermore, when the choreographer was asked what inspired her, besides her own life, she replied that the greatest inspiration was not only her personal experience, but she also spent weeks and months trying to make her dancers express their deep feelings and to use them. as a backdrop for choreographies. “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. emotions. The Bausch trial was an ongoing exploration. Even its final product was not considered absolute, but instead an integral part of the choreographic process” (Bayles, 80). The daily basis of the Bausch dancers consisted of this: the only ballet lesson they had was in the morning; they spent the rest of the day in Bausch's study, where they were asked questions until the end of the day. The process could go in different ways: sometimes Bausch chose a theme for the questions, sometimes it was up to the dancers how they wanted to answer, but other times Bausch dictated a certain way of answering. Some of them “might create a movement segment in response to her questions, while others might simply sit down and talk with her about their ideas on the topic” (Bayles, 89). It was a very deep psychoanalytic process of discovering the inner self and the external world. "Why is it called 'LA'?" was one of the questions posed by Pina Bausch for the work Nur Du. The answer was: “Something kitsch”. But then he said, “Do something that leads with the elbow.” "Charm Los Angeles with your body." (Daly, 20; Bayles, 90). Dominique Mercy was one of his dancers and hasstated that “he seeks material that belongs deeply and uniquely to each individual. She wants it." (Daly, 20; Bayles, 90) Consequently, because the choreographies are full of emotion and shape both her and her dancers' personalities, they obviously generate an incredible response from the audience. rest, given that Pina Bausch's goal was to combine theater and dance, it is obvious that the performances had the best result: the audience was completely lost in the dances and in their story. Absorbed by the feelings outlined in the performances, they begin to reflect on their own life. "For many viewers, watching a piece by Pina Bausch is an internal rollercoaster, an experience of internal reflection and questioning..." (Bayles, 79) Perhaps one of her goals was also to to make the audience go through what her dancers had gone through. Pina Bausch wanted the audience to ask themselves questions, find answers, find their true self and analyze it by watching a documentary film about her life and career or a video on Youtube .com with a performance, someone is able to step out of where they are in the moment and completely lose themselves in the movements, the struggles, and, of course, the story of the dance. You can experience a great emotional process emerging from the video. All of his works contain such profound messages and stories that it is impossible not to go with the flow. For example, in “Rite of Spring,” the performance begins with a woman lying on red fabric. No one else is on stage. Then, another woman comes running and bares her body, which may be a sign of a desire to show the world the real picture of her life and personality, to prove that SHE is real. More and more women appear, each 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 underlines the fact that Pina Bausch did a great job in shaping their unique personalities on stage. As the performance continues, the movements go from low and fluid to fixed, more intense, more expressive. Everything seems to change when the woman lying on the red cloth leaves it on the ground. They begin to move in the same way, their movements are serious and burdensome. Furthermore, the music, Igor Stravinsky's song "The Rite of Spring", gives the dance an even more pressing state. All this generates intense emotions for the audience. The dancers hold the audience there and their hearts begin to beat faster and faster. When men enter the scene everything changes. The relationship between men and women is formed. Then, once again, all attention shifts to the red material, while everyone and all feelings move around it. As a result, after seeing one of Bausch's choreographies, “Many viewers found they connected with his work on an emotional level they had never encountered before. Perhaps because Bausch's work was created for the here and now." (Bayles, 102-103). Pina Bausch addressed everyone, she did not choose to address the public as a whole, but individuals. This is why every person who watches a choreography created by Bausch feels directly addressed, feels that the dancers speak to him exactly and provoke him to think about their movements and complete the choreography. performance with its emotions. The choreographies cannot be completed without the contribution of the audience. This is why Pina Bausch's works can be interpreted in millions of ways and each interpretation is valid (Bayles, 104-105). Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Customize essay In conclusion, after briefly analyzing Pina Bausch's work and yours.