Pina Bausch
German choreographer Pina Bausch is considered to be seen as both influential and controversial. Although she is from Germany and trained in New York, her sensibility is still firmly European in the visions of a dark, brooding and tension-filled world her theatre depicts. I chose to share Pina because she is one of the few creators who have transformed the arm form in which they work. Rather than just sticking to the performance aspect of dance and the shapes and other dynamics of dance, she pushes dance into a different, more complex and abstract direction. Her pieces explore the inhumanity of men and women towards each other and their surroundings, and shows the different interactions between the individuals. I love that she isn't afraid to step outside of the box and admire her willingness to dare and challenge her dancers. Being a dancer personally, I've been asked to do things outside of my comfort zone or to explore a concept further during a number and I really respect the work that choreographers and dancers put into a number to convey a message to the audience. Her pieces are so unique from anything I've ever seen before- I envy those who've gotten to work with her or see her in action. Her pieces can be brutal, aggressive, and physically and emotionally exhausting. Truly the honesty and rawness of her work is what makes her so compelling to me.
- http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/people/b/pina_bausch/index.html
This site covers what the New York Times had to say to it's audience about Pina Bausch. It informs the reader of her basic information including where she was born and when, then it focuses mainly on her experience and specifically refers to direct quotes from Bausch during an interview about some of her pieces. - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/dance/9272080/The-mighty-Pina-Bausch.html
This webshare talks about Pina Bausch after her death and before her death. The author of the text on this site discusses why she was such an influential choreographer, and why she was considered to be so "mighty." The site also touches base on when her company was founded and the background of that. - https://prelectur.stanford.edu/lecturers/bausch/
This lecture specifically talks about Pina's choreography and the process of her work and how it differs so greatly from other choreographers.