Nerd Detective: Nelken

Choreographed By Pina Bausch (12/30/1982)

"Nelken" translates into "Carnations" which is an appropriate name based on the set. The stage is covered with upright planted carnations, forcing the dancers to be careful where they step. It was first performed on December 30, 1982, in cooperation with Matthias Burkert and Hans Pop. The scenic design was by Peter Pabst, and Costume design by Marion Cito.

This was the fifth of her pieces credited to utilize a dramaturg. Raimund Hoghe was her dramaturg from 1979 to 1987, before becoming highly in demand as a dancer and performance artist. She has never worked with another Dramaturg.

The piece lasts two hours pieced into snippets of different imagery. Themes are the balance of power, fear and threat, and bounces between serious and absurd, through the use of childhood games, a signed song and the ever present threat of dancers walk guard dogs on patrol. At one point a guard asks a dancer dressed as a bunny for his passport, and only one he is satisfied, the bunny is allowed to continue hopping. The dancers not only talk on stage but talk about their roles as dancers and their performance, pushing away norms of performance.

Original performers include: Jacob Andersen, Anne Marie Benati, Bénédicte Billiet, Matthias Burkert, Lutz Förster, Kyomi Ichida, Urs Kaufmann, Ed Kortlandt, Anne Martin, Dominique Mercy, Jan Minarik, Nazareth Panadero, Helena Pikon, Hans Pop, Jean-Laurent Sasportes, Janusz Subicz, and Francis Viet.