Pina Bausch's legacy

She died unexpectedly of cancer in 2009, but the legendary choreographer Pina Bausch would've turned 75 on July 27, 2015. She was honored in 2015 in Germany with her own stamp. Click for more on the dance company that carries on her legacy.

Pina Bausch only engaged dancers who were exceptional in her eyes. In 1973, she founded the Tanztheater Wuppertal, known around the world for its radical expressive dance. Only a select few could dance Bausch's pieces. Her choreographies are tailored to the personalities of the Wuppertal dancers.

Young Pina Bausch's pieces unnerved some viewers in the 1970s. Her experimental interpretations disrupted former dance conventions. During the initial performances at the Wuppertal Opera House, some audience members left the room angry and disgusted. Bausch allegedly received letters of complaint and even threats.

Nobody could have known that one day the Wuppertal dance theater would reap world renown. Bausch developed something new that the dance scene had never before witnessed. Her company sparked a revolution that redefined dance.

Bausch's dancers did not simply dance. They ran, spoke, sang, cried and laughed. They interpreted dance in a completely new way. Dancers and choreographers around the world asked themselves, "Where did these dancers learn how to move? Are they singers, actors or dancers?"

Pina Bausch's pieces live by their honesty and introspection. She reached this through intimate collaboration with her dancers. In Bausch's company there were neither soloists, nor hierarchies. All the dancers of the ensemble were equal and were asked to incorporate their own ideas into the dance.

After Pina Bausch's death, dancer Dominique Mercy and Bausch's assistant Robert Sturm assumed the artistic direction. Mercy is one of the eldest members of the ensemble. The goal was to preserve Bausch's repertoire as long as possible. In 36 years, Bausch produced 46 pieces, some of which have become classics. Pictured is Mercy as he dances in Wim Wender's film, "Pina."

Wim Wenders made a cinematic tribute to Pina Bausch and her city of Wuppertal, a quiet town in western Germany, which in addition to Pina Bausch's dance company is also known for its monorail. The 3D dance film featuring the Wuppertal Tanztheater was nominated for an Oscar in 2012 for Best Documentary.

Pina Bausch's pieces are copyrighted and may only be performed by the Wuppertal company. The dancers have 40 pieces to choose from, including the famous "Kontakthof" (Contact Zone), pictured here. Until 2013, Pina Bausch's classic pieces were performed by guest artists, as had been contracted.

In 2013, dance professor Lutz Förster assumed the artistic direction of the Wuppertal Tanztheater. Förster was a long-time member of the ensemble and a professor at Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen.