Beatrice Libonati
Information
Season 1978/79 | begin of collaboration with Pina Bausch |
Biography
Beatrice Libonati
Italian dancer Beatrice Libonati was born in 1954 in Mons, Belgium. Her father was an Italian sculptor, her mother a Belgian fashion designer. She began her dance education at the Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome at the age of twelve, graduating in dance, pedagogy and choreography. After secondary school, she also studied “Lettere e Spettaccoli” at La Sapienza university, but dance was always her first love. She had even choreographed small pieces with her classmates while still at school. Among her teachers were Harald Lander, Zarko Prebil, Margarita Trayanova, Aurel von Milloss, Luisa Grinberg, Juan Corelli, Steve Paxton, Jean Cébron, Giancarlo Bellini, Betty Jones and Fritz Lüdin (Limón Technique), Fred Mertens, Achille Perilli (Set Design), Margherita Abbruzzese (Visual Arts), Alberto Testa (History of Art), as well as Massimo Coen and Mauro Bortolotti (Music). In 1975, Jean Cébron taught her his solo piece, Modèle pour un Mobile, which she performed with the group “I danzatori scalzi” in the academy and on tour. In 1966–67 she danced several solo parts in the academy’s “Gruppo stabile” and worked with Perilli, Lucia Latour and Sylvano Bussotti on the production Altro/Ics for Teatro Altro Spazio in Rome. In 1977 she performed Mobile in the Festival di Spoleto, danced in Giancarlo Bellini’s Vivaldi, and was invited to perform a solo of her own at the theatre festival in Nancy.
Wuppertal via Essen
Jean Cébron had been encouraging Libonati to move to Essen for some time, and she got a scholarship to work with Susanne Linke in the Folkwang Dance Studio. Pina Bausch soon discovered her and signed her up to Tanztheater Wuppertal in 1978. Libonati stayed with the company, as dancer and artistic assistant, until 2006. In Bausch’s Blaubart – Beim Anhören einer Tonbandaufnahme von Béla Bartóks Oper „Herzog Blaubarts Burg“ (Bluebeard), Judith became her signature role, and she went on to become one of the company’s best-known faces in later pieces. Libonati could dance with abandon without drifting into pathos. The petite, fragile-looking Italian was actually very strong and had considerable stamina, and she lent each of her performances a clearly defined presence. She could portray girlish lightheartedness or stubborn persistence equally well. Along with her husband, Jan Minarík, Libonati became one of the key figures in Tanztheater Wuppertal for many years.
Versatile and multi-talented
During her time with Pina Bausch, Libonati kept developing other talents. Between 2001 and 2005 she created four solo shows of her own as well as choreographies for other dancers and groups at international level. She developed a whole series of solos and duets for dancers Elena Kofinà and Irina Castillo. Other talents include painting, playing music, and writing. She has published several books of poetry and sketches over the years. Florentine director Aldo Redi di Criscio staged interpretations of Libonati’s poetry, performed by actors at his Bausette Theatre, in 2012 and 2014. In 2021 Libonati worked with Neapolitan director Giuseppe Sollazzo on his play Una sera ascoltando un vecchio tango mi sono addormentato e ho sognato Pina Bausch (“One evening listening to an old tango I fell asleep and dreamt of Pina Bausch”), which was presented at Campania Teatro Festival, and she created a piece for four dancers for the Paesaggi del Corpo festival in Velletri. Also in 2021, she presented her seventh book, Zwei Sterne warteten in Fiumicino auf mich (“Two stars were waiting for me in Fiumicino”), with readings, dance and song at the Wuppertal Citykirche.
Text by Norbert Servos
Translated by Rachel McNicholl
Gallery
Piece creation
season 1999/2000 | Kontakthof. With Ladies and Gentlemen over 65 Stager |
Premieres
Piece | Kontakthof |
Date | 9 December 1978 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Dance | Anne Martin |
Arnaldo Alvarez | |
Arthur Rosenfeld | |
Beatrice Libonati | |
Christian Trouillas | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Elisabeth Clarke | |
Fernando Cortizo | |
Gary Austin Crocker | |
Heinz Samm | |
Jan Minařík | |
John Giffin | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Luis P. Layag | |
Lutz Förster | |
Mari Di Lena | |
Meryl Tankard | |
Monika Sagon | |
Silvia Kesselheim | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Stagehand | Paul Aron |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Klaus Grimm | |
Ballet master | Egbert Strolka |
Jean Cébron | |
Ballettkorrepetition | Werner Precht |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Leitung Kostüm | Renate Eichberg |
Workshop management | Leo Haase |
Stage manager | Herbert Görsch |
Props | Günther Fränzel |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “Kontakthof” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, Dec. 9, 1978 |
Evening leaflet for “Kontakthof” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, Dec. 9, 1978 |
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Piece | Arien |
Date | 12 May 1979 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Dance | Anne Marie Benati |
Anne Martin | |
Arnaldo Alvarez | |
Arthur Rosenfeld | |
Beatrice Libonati | |
Christian Trouillas | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Elisabeth Clarke | |
Fernando Cortizo | |
Gary Austin Crocker | |
Heinz Samm | |
Jan Minařík | |
John Giffin | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Lutz Förster | |
Mari Di Lena | |
Marion Cito | |
Meryl Tankard | |
Monika Sagon | |
Monika Wacker | |
Silvia Kesselheim | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Stagehand | Josef Lindler |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Klaus Grimm | |
Ballet master | Egbert Strolka |
Jean Cébron | |
Ballettkorrepetition | Werner Precht |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Leitung Kostüm | Renate Eichberg |
Workshop management | Leo Haase |
Stage manager | Herbert Görsch |
Props | Günther Fränzel |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “Arien” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, May 12, 1979 |
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Piece | Keuschheitslegende (Legend of Chastity) |
Date | 13 December 1979 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Dance | Anne Marie Benati |
Anne Martin | |
Arthur Rosenfeld | |
Beatrice Libonati | |
Christian Trouillas | |
Dominique Mercy | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Heide Tegeder | |
Héléna Pikon | |
Jan Minařík | |
Janusz Subicz | |
Jean Laurent Sasportes | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Lutz Förster | |
Malou Airaudo | |
Meryl Tankard | |
Nazareth Panadero | |
Urs Kaufmann | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Actor | Hans Dieter Knebel |
Mechthild Großmann | |
Musician | Matthias Burkert |
Extra | Frank Herfeld |
Frank Nettesheim | |
Jürgen Koch | |
Klaus Kostka | |
Roman Rohde | |
Ulrich Huppach | |
Werner Simon | |
Wolfgang Weiß | |
Stagehand | Paul Aron |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Klaus Grimm | |
Ballet master | Dominique Mercy |
Jean Cébron | |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Leitung Kostüm | Renate Eichberg |
Workshop management | Leo Haase |
Assistant | Hans Dieter Knebel |
Stage manager | Herbert Görsch |
Props | Günther Fränzel |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “Keuschheitslegende (Legend of Chastity)” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, Dec. 13, 1979 |
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Piece | 1980 – A Piece by Pina Bausch |
Date | 18 May 1980 |
Venue | Schauspielhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Set design assistant | Gerda Raichle |
Dance | Anne Marie Benati |
Anne Martin | |
Arthur Rosenfeld | |
Beatrice Libonati | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Hans Dieter Knebel | |
Heide Tegeder | |
Isabel Ribas Serra | |
Jan Minařík | |
Janusz Subicz | |
Jean Laurent Sasportes | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Lutz Förster | |
Malou Airaudo | |
Mechthild Großmann | |
Meryl Tankard | |
Nazareth Panadero | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Musician | Arthur Sockel |
Matthias Burkert | |
Special performer | Hans Günter Witt |
Stagehand | Heinz Czyganowski |
Lighting | Siegfried Schuchmann |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Helmut Schoth |
Ballet master | Dominique Mercy |
Jean Cébron | |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Leitung Kostüm | Renate Eichberg |
Workshop management | Leo Haase |
Stage manager | Peter Lütke |
Props | Gerd Klann |
Sportler:in | Max Walther |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “1980 – A Piece by Pina Bausch” by Pina Bausch with Tanztheater Wuppertal in in Wuppertal, May 18, 1980 |
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Piece | Bandoneon |
Date | 21 December 1980 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
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Piece | Walzer |
Date | 17 June 1982 |
Venue | Koninklijk Theater Carré Amsterdam Amsterdam Netherlands |
Costume assistant | Bernd Bremer |
Rosemarie Hess | |
Dance | Anne Marie Benati |
Arthur Rosenfeld | |
Beatrice Libonati | |
Bénédicte Billiet | |
Christian Trouillas | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Francis Viet | |
Hans Pop | |
Héléna Pikon | |
Jakob Haahr Andersen | |
Jan Minařík | |
Janusz Subicz | |
Jean Laurent Sasportes | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Malou Airaudo | |
Meryl Tankard | |
Monika Sagon | |
Nazareth Panadero | |
Urs Kaufmann | |
Vitus Zeplichal | |
Actor | Mechthild Großmann |
Musician | Matthias Burkert |
Stagehand | Heinz Czyganowski |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Sound | Hartmut Millard |
Helmut Schoth | |
Ballet master | Dominique Mercy |
Jean Cébron | |
Stage manager | Peter Lütke |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “Walzer” by Pina Bausch in in Amsterdam, 06/17/1982 – 06/20/1982 |
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Piece | Auf dem Gebirge hat man ein Geschrei gehört (On the Mountain a Cry Was Heard) |
Date | 13 May 1984 |
Venue | Schauspielhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
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Piece | Viktor |
Date | 14 May 1986 |
Venue | Schauspielhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
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Piece | Ahnen |
Date | 21 March 1987 |
Venue | Schauspielhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
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Piece | Palermo Palermo |
Date | 17 December 1989 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
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Piece | Tanzabend II |
Date | 27 April 1991 |
Venue | Schauspielhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Set design assistant | Helga Schnüttgen |
Dance | Anne Marie Benati |
Barbara Kaufmann | |
Beatrice Libonati | |
Bernd Uwe Marszan | |
Dominique Mercy | |
Dulce Pessoa | |
Finola Cronin | |
Francis Viet | |
Geraldo Si Loureiro | |
Jakob Haahr Andersen | |
Jan Minařík | |
Janusz Subicz | |
Julie Anne Stanzak | |
Julie Shanahan | |
Kyomi Ichida | |
Marigia Maggipinto | |
Mariko Aoyama | |
Mark Alan Wilson | |
Nazareth Panadero | |
Quincella Swyningan | |
Thomas Duchatelet | |
Urs Kaufmann | |
Lighting | Johan Delaere |
Make-up | Carla Terhardt |
Management | Matthias Schmiegelt |
Organizational staff | Claudia Irman |
Technical direction | Johan Delaere |
Lighting direction | Wolfgang Lauber |
Leitung Kostüm | Evelyn Schönwald |
Leitung Requisite | Herbert Kuhn |
Workshop management | Leo Haase |
Stage manager | Peter Lütke |
Cloakroom | Harald Boll |
Rosemarie Hess | |
Source of cast | Booklet for “Tanzabend II” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, April 27, 1991 |
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Piece | Das Stück mit dem Schiff (The Piece with the Ship) |
Date | 16 January 1993 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Set design assistant | Helga Schnüttgen |
Dance | Aida Vainieri |
Barbara Kaufmann | |
Beatrice Libonati | |
Bernd Uwe Marszan | |
Dominique Mercy | |
Felix Ruckert | |
Francis Viet | |
Geraldo Si Loureiro | |
Hans Beenhakker | |
Héléna Pikon | |
Jakob Haahr Andersen | |
Jan Minařík | |
Janusz Subicz | |
Jean Laurent Sasportes | |
Julie Anne Stanzak | |
Julie Shanahan | |
Marigia Maggipinto | |
Mariko Aoyama | |
Nazareth Panadero | |
Quincella Swyningan | |
Ruth Amarante | |
Thomas Duchatelet | |
Musician | Matthias Burkert |
Lighting | Klaus Weiz |
Make-up | Frank Pohler |
Sound | Frank Strätker |
Klaus Grimm | |
Management | Matthias Schmiegelt |
Organizational staff | Claudia Irman |
Ballet master | Agnes Pallai |
Brian Bertscher | |
Christine Kono-Pohlmann | |
Technical direction | Dieter Simon |
Klaus Weiz | |
Manfred Marczewski | |
Leitung Bühnentechnik | Manfred Marczewski |
Peter Ernestus | |
Lighting direction | Siegfried Schuchmann |
Leitung Kostüm | Evelyn Schönwald |
Leitung Requisite | Herbert Kuhn |
Workshop management | Leo Haase |
Stage manager | Jürgen Schneidenbach |
Cloakroom | Andreas Maier |
Harald Boll | |
Rosemarie Hess | |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “Das Stück mit dem Schiff (The Piece with the Ship)” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, Jan. 16, 1993 |
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Piece | Ein Trauerspiel |
Date | 12 February 1994 |
Venue | Schauspielhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
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Piece | Der Fensterputzer (The Window Washer) |
Date | 12 February 1997 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
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Piece | Masurca Fogo |
Date | 4 April 1998 |
Venue | Schauspielhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
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