UTOPINA Repertory Lab | Excerpts from Kontakthof, a piece by Pina Bausch
For all enquiries, please contact Creative Producer, Roz Hervey
roz@restlessdance.org
+61 402 227 920
Restless Dance Theatre is thrilled to announce that the esteemed Julie Shanahan joined the company for the UTOPINA Repertory Lab | Excerpts from Kontakthof, a piece by Pina Bausch with guest artists and Back to Back Theatre.
This exciting partnership brought together three visionary entities, each renowned for their innovative approaches to dance and performance. Restless Dance Theatre expressed their heartfelt gratitude to Salomon Bausch and the Pina Bausch Foundation for this remarkable opportunity.
With a wealth of experience and creative vision, Julie Shanahan lead an inspiring journey of artistic exploration. Her significant contributions to the dance world are widely celebrated and the company were excited to see the fresh perspective Julie and the artists brought to this workshop.
Leading this ambitious project is Roz Hervey, Restless Dance Theatre’s Creative Producer, Creative Collaborator, and Dramaturg. Roz’s professional relationship with Julie Shanahan spans four decades, beginning with their work at Australia’s premiere dance theatre company, One Extra Company in the 1980s. Roz has long admired Pina Bausch’s work and Julie, a principal dancer with Pina Bausch Tanztheater Wuppertal for 36 years.
Creative Producer Roz Hervey said “Two years ago, we reached out to Julie with an idea to bring her back to Australia to work with Restless to host a UTOPINA Repertory Lab for Australian artists with disability. As part of this we were keen to involve the extraordinary artists from Back to Back Theatre, creating a unique opportunity for our organisations to collaborate.
The Pina Bausch Foundation, established in 2009, preserves and promotes the legacy of the renowned choreographer Pina Bausch by managing her artistic work, supporting contemporary dance projects, and fostering international cultural exchange. Restless Dance Theatre is celebrated for its inclusive practices and powerful storytelling, while Back to Back Theatre is renowned for its thought-provoking and socially relevant performances.
Restless’ Artistic Director Michelle Ryan added “Working with international artist Julie Shanahan on this UTOPINA Repertory Lab was transformative for our dancers and the opportunity to collaborate with Back to Back and guest artists from around Australia was incredible. This is a very important time for Restless, as it enriches our artistic repertoire and opens our dancers to a different creative process. The exchange of chorographical techniques has been invaluable for everyone taking part in the process”.
Bruce Gladwin Artistic Director and Co-CEO of Back to Back Theatre stated “It’s a pleasure to work with Julie Shanahan on the UTOPINA Repertory Lab, and look forward to the outcome of this and the possibility of further collaboration with Restless Dance Theatre.
This UTOPINA repertory lab is an invitation by the Pina Bausch Foundation and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch to immerse yourself in the world of Pina Bausch’s piece, Kontakthof.
Find more about Pina Bausch at www.pinabausch.org and about Kontakthof at https://www.pinabausch.org/de/work/kont.
Keep up to date with this project via the Restless Dance Theatre socials which can be accessed here:
For more information, please contact info@restlessdance.org
For media enquiries please contact Petrina Egan – 0423 324 288 or email petrinaegan@outlook.com
Images can be accessed here
Background:
Julie Shanahan was born in Adelaide, Australia. In 1981 she graduated from the Centre for the Performing Arts. 1981 – 1984 she performed with the One Extra Dance Company in Sydney. In 1984 she joined Rheinhild Hoffmann’s Bremen Dance Theatre until 1986 and moved with the company in in 1986 – 1988 to the Schauspielhaus Bochum.
In 1988 she joined Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch as a dancer and remains there to the present day as a dancer and Rehearsal Director. Julie also works as a restager of Pina Bausch’s repertoire for the Pina Bausch Foundation.
In recent years Julie has made creations with Tim Etchells, Alan Lucien Øyen and Rainer Behr. In 2021 she performed and toured in Robert Wilson’s piece “I was sitting on my patio this guy appeared I thought I was hallucinating”. Since 2022 she has performed and toured extensively in the piece L’Etang, which was directed by Gisèle Vienne.
Back to Back Theatre
Over the last 30 years Back to Back Theatre has made a body of work that questions the assumptions of what is possible in theatre, but also the assumptions we hold about ourselves and others.
As an ongoing dialogue with their audience, each new project is an investigation seeking answers to questions raised in previous works. Their attention lies with design, light and sound. The stories they pursue weave the personal, the political and the cosmic. Back to Back Theatre work to curiosity and interest in the live moment, to what sits within and between.