Pina Bausch's Vollmond review

My first experience of Pina Bausch was through her 1975 rechoreographing of The Rite of Spring. I saw it performed by a company assembled from dancers across Africa at the Edinburgh International Festival and was captivated completely by its intensity. Premiering in 2006 Vollmond, one of her last works, is more restrained in its use of typical balletic beauty, with moments that cross the line more so into performance art as is characteristic for her later projects. By this point Bausch has cultivated a highly unique working methodology and has cemented herself as a daring choreographer of great influence.

Described as a series of extended solos Vollmond is a two-hour epic that meanders throughout ideas and scenes, attempting to balance and juxtapose collaboration and independence, the ominous and the childlike, romance and humour. A 12 strong ensemble consisting of dancers from the Tanztheater Wuppertal company perform Vollmond, with this particular performance including original 2006 cast members Julie Anne Stanzak and Ditta Miranda Jasjfi. Like much of Bausch's work, Vollmond is physically demanding of its dancers. 

Reminiscent of some kind of Olafur Elliason installation, the set is undeniably the star of the show: an ominous bolder acting as a bridge over a shallow moat, both become objects of interaction for the dancers at various points in the production. Additionally, a custom-built rain machine looms over the stage. Although gorgeous, the scenery does not really feel in service of the choreography most of the time, seemingly at odds with the elements of physical (and verbal) humour; tonally off.

This is presumably the result of the approach taken by Pina Bausch and her designer Peter Pabst, where set elements are created with a level of independence from the dance, and only essential communication occurs between creatives. The rock and the water, in fact, were only introduced to the dancers in the final three weeks of creating Vollmond.

My own personal taste in dance is for a stronger sense of narrative, and a preference for choreography involving a large ensemble dancing all at once, as opposed to solos. Vollmond however, flicks from scene to apparently unrelated scene, relying largely on solo performances. This approach, in places, comes across as somewhat directionless. It feels as if some of the ideas could have been condensed, structured and collated into distinct acts, or even edited to form a number of shorter works with a stronger sense of identity and purpose. Vollmond is undoubtedly ambitious, but lacks focus.

Certain choreographic elements give rise to unique and interesting moments. A one point the arms of couples in hold evoke the motion of oars, or a mesmeric scene where staffs are used to swiftly glide and dart across the stage, seemingly transforming cast members into skippers of their own punt boats. 

The use of water was at its most effective when in almost Dionysian excess. Brutal, beautiful, crashing waves result from performers throwing buckets of water against the rockface. At a party scene, the overzealous overfilling of wine glasses becomes a playful, chaotic melee, followed by a return to celebrations under a dramatic curtain of rain.

For me Vollmond's final, high-octane moments are its best and most compelling. This performance certainly challenged me. I would like to revisit the production in the future, in addition to further exploring the rest of Bausch's work, as I sense still have more to gain from it. For now, I can only say I do not feel the same emotional connection with Vollmond as I do with other dance productions I have seen. Not a magnum opus, but still pretty good. ★★★☆☆