She freed dance from the shackles of the theater and negotiated questions of power, community and gender on stage: for the 80th birthday of the choreographer Reinhild Hoffmann.
No matter who is premiering in Berlin – somewhere in the audience your fine face is guaranteed to shine with that gorgeous smile. During breaks, Reinhild Hoffmann often hangs out with Susanne Linke, a former dance theater companion. Both choreographers helped to free dance from the shackles of the theater business – and yet always stood a little in Pina Bausch’s overpowering shadow. Today they are, so to speak, the last survivors of a generation of pioneers who brought dance forward in West Germany – and are still active. No senior status in sight, at least not for Reinhild Hoffmann, who celebrates her 80th birthday on November 1st.