Pina Bausch Labs

Pina Bausch Labs are an invitation to discover Pina Bausch's choreographies and her way of working in workshops – and to try them out for oneself. The Labs are for dancers, students, but also for people with no experience in dance – in other words, for anyone who is interested. Dancers from different generations lead the Labs and share their experiences with Pina Bausch's pieces. Pina Bausch Labs are always organised in cooperation with a partner (such as a festival, university or school) and take place all over the world. The work process is spread over several days: participants are introduced to Pina Bausch's choreographies through training, working on excerpts from the pieces and their own creative processes. The important thing is always to focus on one's own immediate experience and exploration. In the Labs, participants work together without the pressure of a performance or grading. The Labs are designed in terms of time and content to suit the participants and the cooperation partner. Discussions, film screenings or working with archive materials often complement the workshops. In this way, Pina Bausch Labs enable an intensive engagement with the legacy of Pina Bausch.

• Two days to two weeks – that's how long a Lab can last. From our experience two days is the minimum required to really engage with Pina Bausch's choreographies. Also beneficial for the process: focused work within the framework of a project in which participants can immerse themselves in the Lab without any other obligations or tasks.
• Team teaching: Pina Bausch Labs are ideally led by more than one dancer. Working as a team has many advantages: different perspectives and experiences enrich the working process, and teaching with a partner allows for different approaches to the repertoire, e.g. teaching duets, etc.
• Experiencing the entire repertoire: The Labs aim to provide as broad an insight as possible into the work of Pina Bausch. For this reason, often excerpts from various pieces are included. If there is a lot of rehearsal time available, it can make sense to concentrate on one piece and work on a longer excerpt, for example.
• No grading, no evaluation: The focus is on trying out and experimenting with the repertoire.
• Performances: Final showings can be a nice way to conclude a Lab. However, they are not a must. Especially when time is limited, it may make sense to find another way to conclude, e.g. a joint discussion, a question and answer session, etc.

The Pina Bausch Foundation cooperates internationally with various institutions and organisations to enable as many people as possible to encounter the work of Pina Bausch.

Here are a few examples since 2024:

2026

• Germany, Essen, Folkwang University of the Arts, with Julie Shanahan

2025

• Germany, Berlin, SHARE The Dance, with Bénédicte Billiet and Scott Jennings
• Japan, Saitama, Saitama Arts Foundation, with Azusa Seyama, Julie Shanahan and Reginald Lefebvre
• Germany, Wuppertal, Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch, with Silvia Farias Heredia
• France, Paris, Pôle supérieur d'enseignement artistique Paris - Boulogne-Billancourt, with Dominique Duszynski
• Japan, Kyoto, ROHM Theatre Kyoto, with Azusa Seyama
• Netherlands, Arnhem, ArtEZ University of the Arts, with Bénédicte Billiet, Fernando Suels Mendoza and Silvia Farias Heredia
• USA, New York City, Barnard College, with Breanna O'Mara and Stephanie Troyak
• Mexico, Xalapa, Universidad Veracruzana, with Franko Schmidt
• Germany, Berlin, University of the Arts, with Bénédicte Billiet and Scott Jennings
• Brazil, Belo Horizonte, Companhia de Dança Palácio das Artes, with Luiza Braz Batista
• Brazil, Belo Horizonte, Grupo de Dança Primeiro Ato, with Luiza Braz Batista
• USA, New York City, Springboard Danse, with Stephanie Troyak
• Hungary, Miskolc, Miskolc Ballet, with Silvia Farias Heredia
• Netherlands, Amsterdam, Henny Jurriëns Studio, with Azusa Seyama
• Germany, Essen, Folkwang University of the Arts, with Stephan Brinkmann
• Canada, Montreal, Danse à la Carte, with Taylor Drury
• Turkey, Istanbul, Vajra Theatre and No Tiyatro, with Silvia Farias Heredia
• Italy, Naples, Art Garage, with Dean Biosca
• France, Grasse, Professional Dance Training French Riviera, with Reginald Lefebvre
• Sweden, Nacka, DA Dansalliansen AB, with Scott Jennings
• Germany, Berlin, SHARE The Dance Intensive, with Scott Jennings

2024

• Taiwan, Taipei National University of the Arts, with Tsai-Chin Yu, Kenji Takagi, Fernando Suelz Mendoza, Szu-Wei Wu and Cristiana Morganti
• Germany, Berlin, SHARE The Dance, with Ditta Miranda Jasjfi and Rainer Behr
• France, Paris, École Supérieure d’Art Dramatique de la Ville de Paris, with Dominique Duszynski
• United Arab Emirates, Sharjah, Sharjah Performing Arts Academy, with Jean Laurent Sasportes
• Germany, Essen, Folkwang University of the Arts, with Lutz Förster
• Australia, Adelaide, restless dance theatre and Back to Back Theatre, with Julie Shanahan
• Great Britain, London, English National Ballet School, with Barbara Kaufmann, Marigia Maggipinto and Ophelia Young
• Netherlands, Amsterdam, Henny Jurriëns Studio, with Azusa Seyama Prioville
• Germany, Essen, Gymnasium Essen-Werden, with Cristiana Morganti and Anna Wehsarg
• Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, Abidjan, On STAGE, with Clémentine Deluy and Jorge Puerta Armenta
• France, Lyon, Conservatoire National Supérieur Musique et Danse de Lyon, with Fernando Suels Mendoza

If you are interested in holding a Pina Bausch Lab at your organization, please submit an enquiry using our form by clicking "Fill our Form!" below. We will then contact you as soon as possible.

Please note: The Labs must be financed entirely by the inviting organizations themselves, i.e. you should budget for fees, travel expenses, accommodation, daily allowances and possibly licence fees.

Processing time can take up to 14 days. Therefore, please allow sufficient time for preparation and contact us at an early stage.

If you are interested in participating in a Pina Bausch Lab and you wonder if and when something is happening near you, please send an email to Kathrin Peters or give her a call (details below).