Pina Bausch: life and survival of a dance company

It was her dance company. Every dancer who danced there danced for her. Her work was based on each individual’s personality, and she invited her dancers to abandon a part of themselves in order to create the roles which they performed. Pina Bausch‚ the dancers in her company and the parts of her repertoire were inextricably intertwined. The company was her creation and life work. Dominique Mercy and Robert Sturm took over the management of the Tanztheater Wuppertal following the shock of her sudden death in 2009. Over four years they handled the transition despite tensions which arose in this disoriented company which had lost its creator. The company felt like a custodian to the legacy of her repertoire. Once this mourning period was over, there was a period of rebirth when the question of creation inevitably reared its head. The company seemed ready to advance in this direction.