Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch presents its 2026/2027 season

On 27 May 2026, Dr Daniel Siekhaus presents the 2026/2027 programme of the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch at a press conference. The event will take place at the former Schauspielhaus Wuppertal, the future Pina Bausch Centre. This symbolic venue, which is set to take on a new lease of life as the Pina Bausch Centre, will provide the setting for the presentation in the presence of Miriam Scherff, mayor of the city of Wuppertal, and Dr Rolf Jürgen Köster, chairman of the supervisory board of Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch GmbH. With eleven works spanning four decades of artistic creation, the new season highlights the extraordinary diversity of Pina Bausch’s repertoire whilst also emphasising the international orientation and the ongoing transmission of her work, which characterise the company’s work today.

Restagings

The 2026/2027 season will feature three re-staged productions for Wuppertal audiences: "... como el musguito en la piedra, ay si, si, si …" (Like the Moss on the Stone), Pina Bausch’s final piece from 2009, Der Fensterputzer (The Window Washer) (1997), and Danzón (1995), in which the choreographer herself appeared on stage. The new production of Der Fensterputzer (The Window Washer) also marks a special moment of artistic transmission: Mechthild Großmann is passing over her role to Melissa Madden Gray, who was most recently seen in The Seven Deadly Sins. The ongoing revival of Pina Bausch’s works will be led by current and former dancers of the company who now act as mediators and rehearsal directors of the repertoire.

An internationally oriented season

In the 2026/2027 season, Tanztheater Wuppertal will continue its international touring programme with numerous invitations across Europe and the USA. Vollmond (Full Moon) will tour Athens, and Nelken (Carnations) will visit Brest and subsequently New York for an extraordinary run of eleven performances. Palermo Palermo will be performed in London, whilst 'Sweet Mambo' has been invited to Vienna. The revival of Café Müller and The Rite of Spring, accompanied by the Wuppertal Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Henrik Schaefer, will also continue its international tour — with guest performances at the Teatro Real in Madrid, the Grand Théâtre de la Ville de Luxembourg and the ImPulsTanz – Vienna International Dance Festival.

Adagio / The Rite of Spring: an exceptional collaboration

Another highlight of the season is Adagio / The Rite of Spring, a joint endeavour by the Hamburg Ballett and Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch. The Hamburg Ballet presents the reconstruction of the piece Adagio from Pina Bausch’s work Adagio – Five Songs by Gustav Mahler, realised in collaboration with the Pina Bausch Foundation. This marks the piece’s return to Wuppertal for the first time since the 1974/75 season. The programme is complemented by a work by John Neumeier, to be announced, performed by the Hamburg Ballet, before the Tanztheater Wuppertal ensemble performs The Rite of Spring. The collaboration brings together two institutions, each closely associated with the work of outstanding choreographers: John Neumeier in Hamburg and Pina Bausch in Wuppertal.

From one generation to the next

In Moving with Pina, Cristiana Morganti – who was a key member of the company from 1993 to 2014 – offers personal, sensitive and at the same time humorous insights into her artistic collaboration with Pina Bausch. The performance will take place on 24 September 2026, the 60th anniversary of the opening of the former Wuppertal Schauspielhaus. At the same time, the company welcomes a new ensemble member: the Brazilian dancer Wendel Lima de Alcantara, who trained at the Folkwang University of the Arts — an institution with which Pina Bausch historically has close ties.

Mediation and Participation

Dance education will also play a key role in the 2026/2027 season. A particular focus is on the participatory formats Tanzen mit…, which are aimed at a wide variety of target groups — from those interested in dance to school classes and professional dancers — and provide direct access to the artistic language of dance theatre. The programme for professional dancers will also continue, including the Pina Bausch LABs in collaboration with the Pina Bausch Foundation. This programme is complemented by rehearsal visits, educational engagement initiatives and professional development courses for teachers. In this way, Tanztheater Wuppertal continues its work to actively pass on Pina Bausch’s artistic legacy through practice, exchange and shared experience.