I picked a film called Pina; it’s a documentary by Wim Wenders about Pina Bausch, a German choreographer who really influenced modern dance in the ‘70s. I think the movie is an escape, but it’s a very human escape, if that makes sense. It sort of zooms in on human expression in the form of dance. But it’s not just dance — it’s also human emotion, and just self-expression in general. It’s been really comforting, and really inspiring to me.
I’ve been familiar with her work, but I didn’t know about the documentary until recently. Now that we’re all unable to go to shows and see performances — it basically just shows you her performances with minimal interruptions, rather than interview after interview or information in a dry way. You basically have a front seat to her performances in a way that you can experience from your own home.
I think modern dance can be a bit unapproachable to people. It’s not something everyone thinks they can love or appreciate, but this is presented in a way that I think is universally moving. Anyone can relate to it because of the way it’s shown, and the choreography itself. I am a dancer, so I guess that gives me a different perspective, but I think anyone can appreciate it!
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(Photo Credit: left, Tonje Thilesen)
