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German Dance Legend Pina Bausch Dies at 68
“Unlike almost any other, she broke out of traditional structures in dance, modernized classical ballet and coined her own idiosyncratic style," said a statement released by German Vice-Chancellor Frank-Walter Steinmeier. "She was the biggest choreographer in the world," said Paris-based US choreographer Carolyn Carlson. "She made a revolution, she was a revolutionary. She was absolutely unique." Bausch formed the successful Wuppertal Tanzheater in 1973, turning the Ruhr Valley town into an international dance mecca. Though Bausch tended to avoid the limelight, she became known to many people outside the dance world with her appearance in Pedro Almodovar's Oscar-winning film "Talk to Her." The film also pays homage to her work. Bausch's oeuvre explores memories, questions of identity and the difficulty of human understanding. Frequently, she thematizes the difficulty of relations between the sexes. Men and women can flirt tenderly at one moment, then fling each other violently across the room the next. "It is about life and about finding a language to describe life," she said. The choreographer, on the whole, usually avoided pinning down or labeling her creations, preferring to let her audiences make up their minds. In 2007 she was awarded the Kyoto Prize - one of the top prizes in the culture and arts field - in recognition of her work in breaking down the boundaries between dance and theater, and pioneering a new
direction for theatrical art. She was the first woman to receive the accolade in the category art and philosophy. Breaking with convention Bold and visually arresting, her first works were roundly criticized by traditional ballet fans. She became notorious for having her company dance on dirt, on leaves, in ankle-deep water, as well as for bringing them into direct contact with the audience. But she began to attract attention abroad with her performances at the World Theater Festival in Nancy, France, in 1977. This was the start of a flourishing international career. The grande dame of modern dance was famed for her collaborative way of working. She would start by directing a barrage of questions at her dancers, who would respond with words, gestures, and improvised dance. "I'm not interested in how people move, but what moves them," she once famously stated. Bausch was strongly influenced by Kurt Jooss, a pioneer of German expressionist dance, with whom she began studying at the age of 14. He was to have a strong influence over her work. The psychological ballets of Anthony Tudor, whom she encountered during a scholarship at the Juilliard School in New York, also made a marked impression on her. Although she led her company for over 35 years, she didn't talk of retiring. Upon receiving the Kyoto Prize less than two years ago, the choreographer said she still had "an awful lot of plans." (Article reprinted courtesy of Deutsche Welle, DW-World.de) To view a slideshow of Pina’s work click on the link below: Further articles Dance Sector Celebrates 5 year Renewal of Arts Investments Toronto, June 29, 2009 - A commitment to extend expiring arts investments for 5 years was announced Friday by Heritage Minister James Moore in an address to the Vancouver Arts Summit. Rebranded by the Conservatives, matching contribution programs in support of arts presentation, cultural spaces, organizational sustainability and arts training were renewed to March 31, 2015. Also renewed for 5 years was $25 million in annual funding to the Canada Council for the Arts, maintaining its annual budget at $181 million. “Confirmation of renewed investment was met with applause and a sigh of relief by members of the Canadian dance sector who were gathered in Ottawa at the Canada Dance Festival over the weekend.” says Shannon Litzenberger, Executive Director of the Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA). “We are thrilled that this government has taken action on a key recommendation made by the CDA and other arts sector representatives during pre-budget consultations last fall.” Jim Smith, President of the Canadian Dance Assembly adds that “extending investment over five years to valued arts programs couldn’t be more timely, ensuring artists and arts organizations have the stability to effectively plan and manage their activities in uncertain economic times”. The renewal of these investments represents $504 million over 5 years. Affected programs and their total annual budgets to 2015 are as follows: • Canada Arts Presentation Fund (formerly Arts Presentation Canada Program) - $18M The Canadian Dance Assembly is the voice of dance in Canada, representing over 300 dance professionals and organizations from across the country. CDA is a member of the Performing Arts Alliance, the Canadian Arts Coalition and the Canadian Conference for the Arts. For more information, please contact: Federal Strategic Review Process To Affect Canada Council Canada Council will be participating in the Government of Canada's Strategic Review process this Spring. This process is additional to the recent Special Examination of the Council by the Auditor General, which concluded (in part) that "the Council's systems and practices involved in grant management, governance, strategic planning, performance measurement and reporting, and human resources management provide it with reasonable assurance that its assets are safeguarded and controlled, that its resources are managed economically and efficiently, and that its operations are carried out effectively". And the Auditor General concluded that the Council's systems and practices "had no significant deficiencies. In fact, the Canada Council's systems and practices have contributed to its success in several areas". So what is Strategic Review? According to a posting on the Treasury Board Secretariat's website, "Strategic reviews are assessments of all direct program spending to ensure programs are managed effectively and efficiently. These reviews support a more rigorous results-based approach to managing taxpayer dollars responsibly and delivering effective and efficient programs that can better meet the priorities of Canadians. As part of the strategic review process, departments will review their direct program spending and the operating costs of their major statutory programs on a four-year cycle to assess how and whether these programs: • Are effective and efficient; Through the strategic review process, departments will also determine whether there are any lower priority, lower performing programs for possible reallocation of funding to higher priority, higher performing programs within the department or government." We understand that Council has been asked to identify 5% of its spending (approximately $9 million) on "lower priority, lower performing programs", and offer these funds up for re-allocation - either at Council, within the Department of Canadian Heritage or to another government department. The potential of a $9 million cut to the Canada Council's base funding is unsettling, to put it mildly. The Canadian Dance Assembly will be working with you our members, and with our partner arts service organizations, to convey the importance of Council's work and the hardship that any reduction in Council funding could impose. We will keep you posted. Dance your way into Spring with International Dance Day April 29, 2009! The Canadian Dance Assembly welcomes all to come out and celebrate. Toronto, ON – The Canadian Dance Assembly (CDA) invites all Canadians to move and be moved in celebration of International Dance Day, April 29. On this day, CDA members will host an array of performances, workshops and activities across the country to promote Canadian dance and engage in community spirit. The Canadian Dance Assembly is a national organization representing the interests of over 350 dance professionals and organizations from across Canada and recognizes the UNESCO International Dance Day annually. Initiated in 1982 by the International Dance Committee of the UNESCO International Theatre Institute (http://iti.unesco.org), International Dance Day falls on April 29 of every year, commemorating the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, a distinguished choreographer that brought about significant reforms in ballet production. Every year, an international message authored by a well-known dance personality is circulated around the world as part of International Dance Day celebrations. Additionally, since 2005, the Canadian Dance Assembly has issued a Canadian message in conjunction with the UNESCO message. This year the Canadian Dance Assembly invited Nico Archambault, dancer extraordinaire and winner of the inaugural season of So You Think You Can Dance Canada, to author a message to all Canadians. Together with his longtime dance partner and girlfriend, Wynn Holmes, they expressed a compelling message that reflects the inner-dancer in all of us: "Dance... The International Dance Day Message, commissioned by ITI – UNESCO, has been written this year by Akram Khan. Khan has been the recipient of numerous awards and accolades and is a highly acclaimed choreographer living and working in Britain today. His message is as follows: “This very special day is dedicated to the one language that everybody in this world can speak, the inherent language of our bodies and our souls, of our ancestors and of our children. In order to commemorate International Dance Day 2009, members of the Canadian Dance Assembly have assembled an eclectic lineup of dance activity throughout the country. For the complete program, click here. March 18, 2009 Dear CDA members, On Monday, March 9th, I was on Parliament Hill in Ottawa among a small handful of witnesses invited to speak to the all-party federal Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage about the impact of recent cuts to arts and culture programs. In particular, my presentation addressed cuts that most directly affected the dance sector including the PromArt ($4.7 million) and Trade Routes ($7 million) programs, as well as the Capacity Building component of the Canadian Arts and Heritage Sustainability Program (reduced by $1.8 million). At best this was a politically charged environment and not one particularly conducive to fact finding, as it was intended. However, CDA offered the only pan-Canadian perspective among the witnesses of the day, which helped to represent the broader impact of the cuts for dance, and the implications from a national, sector-wide point of view. You’ll find a copy of my presentation to the committee attached, as well as a link to an article that appeared in the Ottawa Citizen and other print publications across the country. Arts cuts jeopardize jobs at home, MPs told; Ottawa Citizen I would encourage you to engage your local MP on this issue and request that he or she support the recommendations made in the document. Sincerely,
Canadian Dance Assembly
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Acclaimed German dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch has died at the age of 68. The recipient of numerous awards and prizes, she left her mark as an innovator in the hybrid genre of "Tanztheater," or dance theater.
