Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78

Opera house Wuppertal, Kurt-Drees-Straße 4, 42283 Wuppertal

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Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 returns to Wuppertal

Originally premiered in 1978, Kontakthof is a seminal piece in Pina Bausch’s repertoire, created at a time when her work was beginning to receive international recognition.  

It is said that Pina often mused on the idea of seeing her original cast dance the piece when older. Now, 46 years later, a new encounter with Kontakthof is being created by choreographer Meryl Tankard, who was one of the main characters in 1978. 

Nine of the original dancers return to their roles as the production creates a poignant interaction between past and present. Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 integrates projections of archival footage from their performances as younger dancers, and with company members no longer on stage.  

Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 is a Sadler’s Wells, Pina Bausch Foundation and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch production. It is co-produced with Amare (The Hague), LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, Festspielhaus St. Pölten and China Shanghai International Arts Festival and supported as a contribution to the preparation of the Pina Bausch Centre with funds from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, the Ministry of Culture and Science of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia and the City of Wuppertal.

Concept design and staging – Meryl Tankard
Interpretation – With dancers of the original cast of Pina Bausch’s Kontakthof
Dancers – Elisabeth Clarke, Josephine Ann Endicott, Lutz Förster, John Giffin, Ed Kortlandt, Beatrice Libonati, Anne Martin, Arthur Rosenfeld, Meryl Tankard
Video director – Meryl Tankard
Video-Editor – Kenny Ang
Projection Designers – YeastCulture
Lighting Design – Ryan Joseph Stafford
World Premiere – 26. Nov 2024, Opera House Wuppertal
Duration – 2h, one intermission