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A rare opportunity to see the original cast of a Pina Bausch classic
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, almost five decades 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 with us on stage.
Kontakthof – Echoes of ‘78, a Sadler’s Wells, Pina Bausch Foundation and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch production, was chosen for the prestigious Theatertreffen in Berlin in May 2025. The 62nd edition of Berliner Festspiele’s Theatertreffen presents ten of the most remarkable productions from the last season, selected by a jury of seven critics, to provide an insight into the German-language theatre landscape.
Co-produced with Amare-The Hague, LAC Lugano Arte e Cultura, Festspielhaus St. Pölten, Seongnam Arts Center 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.
With the support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels
Header image description © Uwe Stratmann
Image description: Seven perfomers in formal wear walk in a circle with their hands on their hips. The men wear suits and the women in gold, blue and red dresses. The room is large with black chairs along the back and a window to the side.
“Kontakthof is a place where people meet who are searching for contact. To show yourself, to deny yourself. With fears. Desire. Disappointments. Desperation. First Experiences. First attempts. Tenderness and what arises from it was an important theme in the work. Another, for example, was circus. Showing part of yourself, to overcome oneself.”
– PINA BAUSCH
Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 shows that honouring the past, while not being constrained by it, can make old works newly relevant
THE NEW YORK TIMES
a vintage Pina Bausch dance work, revisited by the original cast
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
see not only the depth of character Pina saw in her performers but also how they’ve evolved over time. Their thoughts, fears, traumas, and experiences are those of a demographic rarely seen on stage
TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT
Play trailer
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Dancing Through Time - Returning to Pina Bausch's Kontakthof
Go behind the scenes of Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78, where we meet company members who danced both then and now.
Performances
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