Pina Bausch |Tanztheater Wuppertal

Created in 1978, Café Müller is the foundational masterpiece of Pina Bausch’s Tanztheater, one of the most important artistic figures of the 20th century.

The stage is covered in chairs and tables, evoking an abandoned cafe. A woman steps up, eyes closed and arms stretched out, only to stumble and fall. A man carves a way for her by clearing out the chairs. Another woman crosses the cluttered space and then disappears. Dido’s Lament by Henry Purcell starts to play. Hence begins Café Müller, an essential and sublime dance that tells the story of desire and loneliness. The six performers look for each other, catch each other whether with violence or tenderness, but always in vain. Punctuated by silences and the clatter of chairs, the music carries the fluidity of bodies to peaks of emotion.