One of the movers and shakers of the world’s dance school, the revolutionary German choreographer always managed to impress the public without using any visual effects, lavish sets or costumes. Any of her trademark performances, though could be described as a dance extravaganza, where the choreographer balanced between ballet, slapstick comedy and tragedy.

Pina Bausch

She studied at the Julliard School in New York to become a member of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet Company, before it became clear that choreography was Pina’s be-all and end-all. For over 3 decades, Bausch’s Wuppertal Dance Company’s been helping audiences, wherever they are, look at familiar things from a different perspective.

A guru of dance, Bausch was a film aficionado and once played a cameo role as a Princess in Federico Fellini’s “And the Ship Sails On”.

She also served as an inspiration for Pedro Almodovar when he was creating his drama “Talk to Her”. Similar to Almodovar’s films, Bausch’s performances often feature “women on the verge of a nervous breakdown”. She was one of those unconventional artists who used the stage as a reflection of real life.

Valeria Paikova, RT