Analysis Of Pia Baausch's 'Pina'

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Through Wim Wender’s aesthetically pleasing documentary, Pina, we view Pina Bausch’s famous choreographies within the Tanztheater Wuppertal from an insider's perspective. Bausch explores the politics of gender through movement. Pina Bausch begins to challenge gender socialization as she assumes the role of choreographer because in dance, power is located within the movements. Bausch complies with the ideal that the female dancer is the substrate through which the male expresses himself. He sets the direction of movement, while she follows the momentum, with little to no agency, implying implicit social dynamics and the question of consent. Portraying social and cultural normatives, Bausch effectively recognizes gender differences and critiques the perpetuation of such. …show more content…

The terms “feminine” and “masculine” are deeply rooted in the social assumptions of what it means to be a woman or a man and how our society perpetuates these stereotypes. Society associates delicacy, grace, and beauty with femininity, while strength, utilitarianism, and bruteness are connected to masculinity. She consistently represents the female bodies as ladylike and males as masculine. In Pina Bausch’s company, the females often dawn elegant gowns, with their hair flowing down their backs while the males are placed in suits, dress pants, or minimal clothing revealing their brawny bodies. Although Bausch emphasizes and portrays these stereotypical gendered representations, she does so to scrutinize and question it. Most importantly, Bausch challenges the separation of sexes through her choreography, creating a dichotomy between the gendered outward appearance of her dancers and their

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