Take Part in an Epic Pina Bausch Project

Ever dream of dancing Pina Bausch’s choreography?

You’re in luck, because the Pina Bausch Foundation is inviting dancers and dance lovers across the world to take part in “The Nelken Line.”

Bausch choreographed Nelken—which means “carnations” in English—in 1982. It’s the piece with hundreds of pink carnations scattered across the stage, where at one point, the dancers walk in a single-file line, performing the same four distinct gestures over and over. For Bausch, each of the gestures represented one of the four seasons.

Here’s a clip of the Tanztheater Wuppertal dancers taking the Nelken line out to the mountains in Wim Wenders’ documentary PINA:

Earlier this year the Pina Bausch Foundation launched “The Nelken Line” project to encourage Bausch enthusiasts (and their willing friends, colleagues, students and family members) to start their own lines and share videos of them. So many people have taken part that the project has now been extended to May 31, 2018.

So far, participants have come from everywhere from Morocco to Chile, performing in locations like soccer stadiums, a French nursery school, and through the campus of Jacob’s Pillow. Check out all the videos on the Pina Bausch Foundation’s Vimeo channel.

The purpose of the project? It seems like it’s for nothing more than the fun of spreading Pina’s movements across the world, and giving everyone—no matter their age, language or ability—a chance to feel her iconic choreography in their own body.

Join the line: You can learn the sequence directly from long-time Tanztheater Wuppertal member Julie Anne Stanzak:

Then download the music (“West End Blues” by Louis Armstrong & His Hot Five), gather friends, film your performance and send the clip to [email protected].

Soon you’ll have a hard time walking anywhere without an urge to break out some Bausch.