In the latter half of this century, Pina Bausch, more than any other choreographer has created the deepest impact on audiences worldwide. Shifting the classic parameters of dance, she revolutionized form and expression at a time when such departures were little heard of. Movement, drama and music were tools to explore the innermost recesses of the human mind – to lay it bare. A head-on confrontation with truth. Where performers and audience become equally vulnerable. You come away disturbed, intrigued and totally mesmerized. Perhaps wiser. Such is the visionary quality of her work.

Anticipation hung heavy in the air. The auditorium was sheathed in a sombre carpet of black and grey, a mosaic of heads, with every seat taken. In striking contrast, the stage was a garden of pink. Thousands of pink carnations bloomed expectantly, waiting for the ‘magic’ to happen.