Vivienne Newport
Vivienne Newport is a dancer and choreograph from Bristol (UK). She is member of the Tanztheater Wuppertal from 1973 to 1981, during which time she participated in the creation of 14 pieces from Pina Bausch.
Biography
Vivienne Newport
Born 4 December 1951 in Bristol, United Kingdom, Vivienne Newport initially studied dance in London then continued at the Folkwang School in Essen, Germany, founded by Kurt Jooss. One of the most significant pioneers of the first German dance revolution in the 1920s and 1930s, at the Folkwang Jooss didn’t only impart the fundamentals of a modern understanding of dance; with the Folkwang Ballet, he also established a platform which served to preserve his own works as well as providing a test ground for younger choreographers. In 1968 Pina Bausch took over direction of this ensemble, which functioned as a masterclass, and soon noticed Vivienne Newport. In 1973, when the artistic director of Wuppertal’s theatres Arno Wüstenhöfer, made Pina Bausch head of dance there, she took Vivienne Newport with her to join her newly-selected ensemble. Together with Malou Airaudo, Jan Minařík, Dominique Mercy, Gabriel Sala and the others she was a pioneer of the Tanztheater Wuppertal. This was a new generation of dancers, who wanted to do more than ‘just tiptoe daintily around’, as Newport put it. Like her choreographer, she wanted to talk about human beings, their fears and desires, directly, straightforwardly and honestly. With her smoky voice Vivienne Newport was a compelling actor as well as dancer, precise and sharply delineated. From the first piece in Wuppertal, Fritz 1973 up to Bandoneon, in 1981, she gave the new dance theatre company a distinctive face and voice.
In 1981 she went her own way and launched the Company Vivienne Newport at Frankfurt’s Theater am Turm, soon making a name for herself with a distinct style, inspired by the Tanztheater Wuppertal but with themes and a style clearly her own. In the rapid succession of pieces she produced, she continually interrogated the certainties and uncertainties of identity, and the sustainability of everyday behavioural norms, always maintaining a delicate balance between dream and reality. She deliberately blurred boundaries and disrupted habitual ways of seeing. Between 1982 and 1985 she produced nine pieces just for the Theater am Turm. After that she created independent productions, mainly for the Gallus Theater in Frankfurt.
In 2004 the city cut her company's funding and she continued to work as a freelance choreographer and director. Throughout these years she retained links to the Tanztheater Wuppertal, actively involved with new productions of pieces from the repertoire, most recently in 2013/14 for the reconstruction of the Stravinsky triple bill Frühlingsopfer (Rite of Spring) to mark the fortieth anniversary of the company.
On 27 April 2015 Vivienne Newport died at the age of 63 in Berlin following a long illness.
Text by Norbert Servos
Translated by Steph Morris
Gallery
Vivienne Newport in “Iphigenie auf Tauris” by Pina Bausch at Opernhaus Wuppertal, season 1973/74
Photo: Vicente del Amo
Premieres
Piece | Fritz |
Date | 5 January 1974 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Choreografische Assistenz | Hans Pop |
Dance | Carlos Orta |
Catherine Denisot | |
Charlotte Butler | |
Dominique Mercy | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Gabriel Sala | |
Heinz Samm | |
Jan Minařík | |
John Giffin | |
João Penalva | |
Malou Airaudo | |
Marlis Alt | |
Monika Sagon | |
Monika Wacker | |
Riitta Laurikainen | |
Tjitske Broersma | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Wolf-Werner Wolf | |
Stagehand | Helmut Kühne |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Artistic director | Pina Bausch |
Ballet master | Hans-Dieter Klos |
Repetition | Werner Precht |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Stage manager | Werner Hartkopf |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “Fritz” by Pina Bausch, “Rodeo” by Agnes de Mille and “The green Table” by Kurt Jooss in in Wuppertal, Jan. 5, 1974 |
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Piece | Iphigenie auf Tauris |
Date | 21 April 1974 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Dance | Barbara Passow-Diekamp |
Barry Wilkinson | |
Colleen Finneran-Meessmann | |
Dominique Mercy | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Hans Pop | |
Hiltrud Blanck | |
Jan Minařík | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Lajos Horvath | |
Malou Airaudo | |
Margaret Huggenberger | |
Marlis Alt | |
Matthias Schmidt | |
Monika Wacker | |
Stephanie Macoun | |
Sue Cooper | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Yolanda Meier | |
Singer | Bozena Kinasz |
Elena Bajew | |
Hartmut Bauer | |
Heikki Siukola | |
Klaus Kettenbach | |
Luigi Lega | |
Choir | Jiri Kubica |
Werner Wilke | |
Stagehand | Paul Aron |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Souffleuse | Gertrud Bürkle |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Stage manager | Herbert Görsch |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “Iphigenie auf Tauris” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, season 1973/74 |
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Piece | Adagio – Five Songs by Gustav Mahler |
Date | 8 December 1974 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
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Piece | I'll Do You In… |
Date | 8 December 1974 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
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Piece | Orpheus und Eurydike |
Date | 23 May 1975 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Dance | Barbara Passow-Diekamp |
Barry Wilkinson | |
Colleen Finneran-Meessmann | |
Dominique Mercy | |
Heinz Samm | |
Hiltrud Blanck | |
Jan Minařík | |
Lajos Horvath | |
Laszlo Fenyves | |
Malou Airaudo | |
Margaret Huggenberger | |
Marlis Alt | |
Michael Diekamp | |
Monika Sagon | |
Monika Wacker | |
Pedro José Mascarello Bisch | |
Stephanie Macoun | |
Sue Cooper | |
Tjitske Broersma | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Yolanda Meier | |
Singer | Bozena Kinasz |
Kristina Eckert | |
Lois White | |
Choir | Werner Wilke |
Stagehand | Helmut Kühne |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Souffleuse | Else Hildesheim |
Ballet master | Hans-Dieter Klos |
Ballettkorrepetition | Werner Precht |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Stage manager | Walter Maiser |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “Orpheus und Eurydike” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, May 23, 1975 |
Booklet for “Orpheus und Eurydike” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, May 23, 1975 |
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Piece | The Rite of Spring |
Date | 3 December 1975 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Dance | Barbara Passow-Diekamp |
Barry Wilkinson | |
Colleen Finneran-Meessmann | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Erwin Fritsche | |
Esco Edmondson | |
Fernando Cortizo | |
Guy Detot | |
Heinz Samm | |
Hiltrud Blanck | |
Jan Minařík | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Lajos Horvath | |
Laszlo Fenyves | |
Lutz Förster | |
Margaret Huggenberger | |
Marie-Luise Thiele | |
Marlis Alt | |
Michael Diekamp | |
Monika Sagon | |
Monika Wacker | |
Pedro José Mascarello Bisch | |
Stephanie Macoun | |
Sue Cooper | |
Tjitske Broersma | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Yolanda Meier | |
Stagehand | Paul Aron |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Ballet master | Hans-Dieter Klos |
Ballettkorrepetition | Werner Precht |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Stage manager | Herbert Görsch |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “The Rite of Spring”, “Wind From West” and “The Second Spring” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, Dec. 3, 1975 |
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Piece | Wind From West |
Date | 3 December 1975 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Dance | Barbara Passow-Diekamp |
Barry Wilkinson | |
Colleen Finneran-Meessmann | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Esco Edmondson | |
Fernando Cortizo | |
Heinz Samm | |
Hiltrud Blanck | |
Jan Minařík | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Lajos Horvath | |
Laszlo Fenyves | |
Margaret Huggenberger | |
Marlis Alt | |
Michael Diekamp | |
Monika Sagon | |
Monika Wacker | |
Pedro José Mascarello Bisch | |
Stephanie Macoun | |
Sue Cooper | |
Tjitske Broersma | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Yolanda Meier | |
Stagehand | Paul Aron |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Ballettkorrepetition | Werner Precht |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Stage manager | Herbert Görsch |
Tour management | Hans-Dieter Klos |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “The Rite of Spring”, “Wind From West” and “The Second Spring” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, Dec. 3, 1975 |
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Piece | The Second Spring |
Date | 3 December 1975 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Dance | Colleen Finneran-Meessmann |
Jan Minařík | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Marlis Alt | |
Michael Diekamp | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Stagehand | Paul Aron |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Ballet master | Hans-Dieter Klos |
Ballettkorrepetition | Werner Precht |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Stage manager | Herbert Görsch |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “The Rite of Spring”, “Wind From West” and “The Second Spring” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, Dec. 3, 1975 |
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Piece | The Seven Deadly Sins |
Date | 15 June 1976 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Costume assistant | Ortrud Himmelreich |
Musikassistenz | Lothar Knepper |
Dance | Barbara Passow-Diekamp |
Barry Wilkinson | |
Colleen Finneran-Meessmann | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Elisabeth Clarke | |
Esco Edmondson | |
Fernando Cortizo | |
Hans Pop | |
Heinz Samm | |
Hiltrud Blanck | |
Jan Minařík | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Lajos Horvath | |
Laszlo Fenyves | |
Margaret Huggenberger | |
Marlis Alt | |
Michael Diekamp | |
Monika Sagon | |
Monika Wacker | |
Pedro José Mascarello Bisch | |
Stephanie Macoun | |
Sue Cooper | |
Tjitske Broersma | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Yolanda Meier | |
Actor | Mechthild Großmann |
Singer | Ann Höling |
Erich Leukert | |
Karin Rasenack | |
Oskar Pürgstaller | |
Siegfried Schmidt | |
Willi Nett | |
Zsolt Ketszery | |
Stagehand | Helmut Kühne |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Souffleuse | Else Hildesheim |
Ballettkorrepetition | Werner Precht |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Workshop management | Leo Haase |
Stage manager | Herbert Görsch |
Tour management | Hans-Dieter Klos |
Props | Günther Fränzel |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “The Seven Deadly Sins” by Pina Bausch with Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal in in Wuppertal, June 15, 1976 |
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Piece | Bluebeard. While Listening to a Tape Recording of Béla Bartók's Opera "Duke Bluebeard's Castle" |
Date | 8 January 1977 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Costume assistant | Ortrud Himmelreich |
Dance | Anne Marie Benati |
Arnaldo Alvarez | |
Barbara Passow-Diekamp | |
Colleen Finneran-Meessmann | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Elisabeth Clarke | |
Esco Edmondson | |
Fernando Cortizo | |
Guy Detot | |
Hans Pop | |
Heinz Samm | |
Hiltrud Blanck | |
Jan Minařík | |
John Giffin | |
Luis P. Layag | |
Mari Di Lena | |
Marion Cito | |
Marlis Alt | |
Michael Diekamp | |
Monika Sagon | |
Monika Wacker | |
Tjitske Broersma | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Yolanda Meier | |
Stagehand | Josef Lindler |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Ballet master | Egbert Strolka |
Ballettkorrepetition | Werner Precht |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Workshop management | Leo Haase |
Stage manager | Herbert Görsch |
Props | Günther Fränzel |
Source of cast | Booklet for “Bluebeard. While Listening to a Tape Recording of Béla Bartók's Opera "Duke Bluebeard's Castle"” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, Jan. 8, 1977 |
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Piece | Come Dance With Me |
Date | 26 May 1977 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Costume assistant | Ortrud Himmelreich |
Dance | Anne Marie Benati |
Arnaldo Alvarez | |
Barbara Passow-Diekamp | |
Colleen Finneran-Meessmann | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Elisabeth Clarke | |
Esco Edmondson | |
Fernando Cortizo | |
Gisbert Rüschkamp | |
Guy Detot | |
Hans Pop | |
Heinz Samm | |
Hiltrud Blanck | |
Jan Minařík | |
John Giffin | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Luis P. Layag | |
Mari Di Lena | |
Marion Cito | |
Monika Sagon | |
Monika Wacker | |
Tjitske Broersma | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Yolanda Meier | |
Stagehand | Paul Aron |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Ballet master | Egbert Strolka |
Ballettkorrepetition | Werner Precht |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Workshop management | Leo Haase |
Stage manager | Herbert Görsch |
Props | Günther Fränzel |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “Come Dance With Me” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, May 26, 1977 |
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Piece | Renate wandert aus (Renate Emigrates) |
Date | 30 December 1977 |
Venue | Opernhaus Wuppertal Wuppertal Germany |
Costume assistant | Ortrud Himmelreich |
Dance | Anne Marie Benati |
Arnaldo Alvarez | |
Barbara Passow-Diekamp | |
Dana Sapiro | |
Dominique Mercy | |
Ed Kortlandt | |
Erich Leukert | |
Fernando Cortizo | |
Heinz Samm | |
Hiltrud Blanck | |
Héléna Pikon | |
Jacques Patarozzi | |
Jan Minařík | |
John Giffin | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Luis P. Layag | |
Malou Airaudo | |
Mari Di Lena | |
Marion Cito | |
Marlis Alt | |
Monika Sagon | |
Monika Wacker | |
Tjitske Broersma | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Yolanda Meier | |
Stagehand | Paul Aron |
Lighting | Hans-Joachim Deinert |
Make-up | Heinz Dildey |
Sound | Horst Kersten |
Ballet master | Egbert Strolka |
Jean Cébron | |
Ballettkorrepetition | Werner Precht |
Technical direction | Rolf Bachmann |
Workshop management | Leo Haase |
Stage manager | Herbert Görsch |
Props | Günther Fränzel |
Source of cast | Evening leaflet for “Renate wandert aus (Renate Emigrates)” by Pina Bausch in in Wuppertal, Dec. 30, 1977 |
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Piece | He Takes Her by The Hand and Leads Her Into the Castle, The Others Follow |
Date | 22 April 1978 |
Venue | Schauspielhaus Bochum Bochum Germany |
Costume assistant | Alois Bürger |
Magdalene Jacke | |
Dance | Dominique Mercy |
Jan Minařík | |
Josephine Ann Endicott | |
Vivienne Newport | |
Actor | Hans Dieter Knebel |
Mechthild Großmann | |
Rudolph Lauterburg | |
Soňa Červená | |
Vitus Zeplichal | |
Volker Spengler | |
Lighting | Egon Jendrian |
Make-up | Baldo Pazzaglia |
Technical direction | Horst Gehringer |
Stage manager | Gerd Beiderbeck |
Props | Rainer Peters |
Walter Ludwig | |
Source of cast | Booklet for “He Takes Her by The Hand and Leads Her Into the Castle, The Others Follow” by Pina Bausch and “He Takes Her by The Hand and Leads Her Into the Castle, The Others Follow” by Pina Bausch with Tanztheater Wuppertal in in Bochum, 04/22/1978 – 04/23/1978 |
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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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