Club Amour

Image (above): Café Müller © Oliver Look. Image courtesy of Berliner Festspiele

The late and great German choreographer and dancer Pina Bausch was appointed as the director of Wuppertal Ballet in 1973; she renamed the company Tanztheater Wuppertal and revolutionized modern dance in the process. Even after her passing in 2009, her works are celebrated and performed all over the world.

French dancer and choreographer Boris Charmatz was appointed artistic director of the company at the beginning of the 2022/2023 season. In an Australian first he features a triple bill for the Adelaide Festival, beginning with two works from his 1996 repertoire and concluding with one of Bausch’s most famous works from 1978, “Café Müller”.

Our first dance piece is called “Aatt enen tionon,” translating to the French word for “Attention” and takes place on the Festival Theatre stage. We are encouraged to sit, stand or move about as we take in the loud and raspy tones of PJ Harvey. In the middle of the performing space is a large scaffolding construction with three levels. Each level separated by wooden slats. The space is illuminated by three large white orbs, which splash varying degrees of light and shadow on our performers. Each dancer takes up space on their level in an emotional display of frustration and isolation. It was as though they were enduring a violent tussle with their own identity. Their vulnerability was laid bare, as performers were stripped naked from the waist down. Choreography was deliberate in its execution. At times I was uncomfortable as I watched the distorted bodies being flung to the floor. Fighting to be seen and heard made even more frenetic with audio in the form of loud, monotone humming gave this piece an urgency. It was impossible to look away.

Image: Aatt enen tionon. Photographer:  Evangelos Rodoulis

Charmatz’s second offering is an excerpt from Herses (Une Lente Introduction), called “Herses Duo.” It provided a change of pace. A naked man and woman part the audience, walking slowly toward centre stage. Their bodies intertwined taking on a sculptural quality. As they explored each-other’s limbs, it was hard to determine where one body began and the other ended. Staying connected for the duration of the performance provided a tension and displayed strength through connection.

After a long interval, the audience made their way into the auditorium to be seated. The stage remained open as we watched crew build the set for the final instalment. “Café Müller” was inspired by childhood memories Bausch had of her father’s café. A café after closing is dimly lit. Dozens of black chairs and several tables are scattered across the stage. Upstage right is a glass revolving door, which propels performers into the chaotic setting. Dancers bump into chairs and into clear Perspex walls. Each is in search of connection and possibly love, but not all love stories are healthy. Some dancers walk blindly through the space not opening their eyes. Others are more resourceful and manipulate the bodies on offer. At times, the choreography portrays the innocence of a first kiss, to the volatile demise of a love story. Themes are universal. That longing for connection in a world which does its best to isolate and segregate, carries with it a sadness.

Image: Café Müller © Oliver Look. Image courtesy of Berliner Festspiele

Set to the music by Henry Purcell, Bausch’s choreography displays intense emotional discovery. Dancers running through the performance space searching for connection or paralysed by sadness. The piece was 45 minutes long and intoxicating in its beauty.

The audience rose to their feet at the conclusion in appreciation of the artistry displayed. I was acutely aware that I had witnessed something incredibly special.

Kerry Cooper

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