Restless Dance Theatre Commences Pina Bausch Repertory Lab With Julie Shanahan

Restless Dance Theatre has announced that the esteemed Julie Shanahan will join the company for the UTOPINA Repertory Lab | Excerpts from Kontakthof, a piece by Pina Bausch with guest artists and Back to Back Theatre.

This partnership brings together three visionary entities, each renowned for their innovative approaches to dance and performance. Restless Dance Theatre expressed its heartfelt gratitude to Salomon Bausch and the Pina Bausch Foundation for this remarkable opportunity.

With a wealth of experience and creative vision, Julie Shanahan is posed to lead an inspiring journey of artistic exploration. Her significant contributions to the dance world are widely celebrated and the company is eager to see the fresh perspective Julie and the artists will bring to this workshop.

Leading this ambitious project is Roz Hervey, Restless Dance Theatre's Creative Producer, Creative Collaborator, and Dramaturg. Roz's professional relationship with Julie Shanahan spans four decades, beginning with their work together at Australia's premiere dance theatre company, One Extra Company in the 1980s. Roz has long admired Pina Bausch's work and Julie, a principal dancer with Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal for 36 years, epitomizes the artistic excellence that this collaboration embodies.

Creative Producer Roz Hervey said "Two years ago, we reached out to Julie with an idea to bring her back to Australia to work with Restless to explore an iteration of Kontakthof, Pina's iconic work, featuring a cast of artists with disabilities. As part of this we were keen to involve the extraordinary artists from Back to Back Theatre, creating a unique opportunity for our organisations to collaborate.

The Pina Bausch Foundation, established in 2009, preserves and promotes the legacy of the renowned choreographer Pina Bausch by managing her artistic work, supporting contemporary dance projects, and fostering international cultural exchange.  Restless Dance Theatre is celebrated for its inclusive practices and powerful storytelling, while Back to Back Theatre is renowned for its thought-provoking and socially relevant performances. Together, with Julie Shanahan's guidance, we are exploring excerpts of Kontakthof with the hope of moving forward and creating a new iteration of the original work that challenges norms."

Restless' Artistic Director Michelle Ryan added “Working with international artist Julie Shanahan on this historical piece by the great Pina Bausch is transformative for our dancers and the opportunity to collaborate with Back to Back and guest artists from around Australia is incredible. This is a very important time for Restless, as it enriches our artistic repertoire and opens our dancers to a different creative process. The exchange of chorographical techniques will be invaluable for everyone taking part in the process”. 

Bruce Gladwin Artistic Director and Co-CEO of Back to Back Theatre stated “It's a pleasure to work with Julie Shanahan exploring the making and re-making of Pina Bausch's Kontakthof. We look forward to the outcome of this creative development and the possibility of further collaboration with Restless Dance Theatre.

This UTOPINA repertory lab is an invitation by the Pina Bausch Foundation and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch to immerse yourself in the world of Pina Bausch's piece, Kontakthof. 

Find more about Pina Bausch at www.pinabausch.org and about Kontakthof at https://www.pinabausch.org/de/work/kont.

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