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2007 Kyoto Prize Laureates 
Arts and Philosophy Category
Prize Field: Theater, Cinema Pina Bausch Applying an original choreographical approach that delves into the fundamental motives of human action, Ms. Pina Bausch has established a creative idiom that taps deeply into the sensitivity of both performers and their audiences. At the same time, she has broken down the boundaries between dance and theater, and opened up a new direction in theatrical art. A choreographer who has broken down the boundaries between dance and theater and pioneered a new direction for theatrical art The 2007 Kyoto Prize in Arts and Philosophy focuses on the field of Theater, Cinema. Ms. Pina Bausch will receive the award for opening up a new dimension in the theatrical arts that transcends the conventional domains of dance and theater. Ms. Bausch was heavily influenced by the lifestyle and humanity of Kurt Jooss, a developer of German expressionist dance, and Anthony Tudor, who was involved in creating psychological ballet in New York. Moving away from classical ballet steps, she established the genre of “Tanztheater” (dance theater) as an holistic theatrical art. When she started staging original works in Wuppertal, Germany she was roundly criticized by those who supported the traditional style of ballet. She began to attract international attention, however, with her performances at the World Theatre Festival in Nancy, France in 1977, and commenced tours of Europe and other regions thereafter. At her debut performance in New York in 1984, when she staged “Frühlingsopfer (The Rite of Spring),” “Café Müeller,” “Blaubart,” and “1980 ― Ein Stück von Pina Bausch (1980 – A Piece by Pina Bausch),” she made a vivid impression on audiences and packed the theater night after night. Ms. Bausch’s works explore the question of human identity and the difficulty of mutual understanding. The recurring motifs of solitude and alienation, male-female entanglements, and conflicts between the individual and society are universal human concerns. She expresses them with gestures and words that sometimes appear brutal and even violent. She is also known for her dynamic and artistic use of natural elements such as soil, water, and flowers in her stage presentations. Her creativity is manifested through the process of choreographing a piece with her dancers. “I’m not interested in how people move, but in what moves them,” she once famously stated. Her creative process begins with a barrage of questions directed individually to her dancers, who respond with words, gestures, and improvised dance, producing a dialogue that discovers new modes of expression. Asserting that she always looks for something the audience can share, Ms. Bausch creates works that stimulate the viewers’ memories and emotional responses, deeply touching their souls and often inspiring instant fans. Freely taking leave of the conceptual ideas and images surrounding dance, and using motifs from everyday life as springboards into human consciousness, Ms. Bausch continues to lead the dance scene in the 21st century. |
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