Now In Korea
Pina Bausch’s Carnation Returns to Korea, Raising Preservation Dilemmas for Posthumous Dance
Creatrip Team
a month ago
LG Arts Center marks its 25th anniversary by reviving Pina Bausch’s early Tanztheater work Carnation (1982) for performances in Seoul and Sejong this November. The piece—famed for a stage covered in 9,000 carnations—shows the fusion of dance (Tanz) and theater (Theater) that Bausch pioneered with Tanztheater Wuppertal. Bausch’s company continued touring after her sudden death in 2009, but the troupe now faces a transition: most of the current 19 dancers in Carnation are recent recruits rather than veterans who worked directly with Bausch. Since Bausch’s choreographic method relied on dialogue and performers’ lived experience, this raises questions about authenticity and whether such revivals risk becoming archival reproductions. The article contrasts ballet’s tradition of preservation with modern dance’s historic fragility after a choreographer’s death, noting shifts—like better recording technology and changing attitudes—that have encouraged some companies to survive as repertory companies (performing multiple choreographers) after their founders’ deaths. Tanztheater Wuppertal itself has struggled to redefine its direction post-Bausch, with several artistic directors leaving early; the upcoming Korean tour will include interim director Daniel Sieghaus.
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