LUGANO  These will be the final dates, those scheduled in Lugano at LAC, of Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 a new encounter with Bausch’s seminal work Kontakthof, conceived and directed by Meryl Tankard, who was one of the main characters in 1978. Tankard reunited with other members from the original cast for this production that Lugano Dance Project presents on 10 June (h. 20) and 11 (h. 21).

Originally premiered in 1978, Kontakthof is one of the most important pieces in Pina Bausch’s repertoire, created at a time when her work was beginning to receive international recognition. It is a key example of her long-standing collaboration with Rolf Borzik, who designed set and costumes and also documented the production.  
 
During the creation of the seminal 1978 production, it is said that Pina Bausch often mused on the idea of seeing her original cast dance the piece when older. Now – 45 years after the premiere of the original production, Kontakthof – Echoes of ’78 features interactions between past and present. The production integrates live performance with projections of archival footage of the company as younger dancers and with members no longer with us on stage

Meryl Tankard, Concept, Director and Dancer, said: “Watching recordings from the premiere in '78, I was struck by the simple, but powerful and timeless quality of the footage that Rolf Borzik captured. It made me consider how to approach this project. Forty-five years on, we are older, a few of the original cast members are sadly no longer with us and there are limitations as to what we can do physically. But this is where the interest lies. Rather than replace our dear friends, I want their absence to be felt. We will play and dance with projections of our younger selves using the archival footage to bring these echoes of '78 to the fore. Kontakthof, as with so many of Pina's works, has such enduring relevance. It's a privilege to return to this iconic work.” 

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, 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

© All rights reserved