The Body as a Metaphor for Thought: Nonverbal Dialogue in Pina Bausch's Müller's Café

Abstract

Pina Bausch is a landmark figure in the history of modern dance in the world. As a master of German expressionist dance, her pioneering and globally promoted dance theater and brand-new dance aesthetics have become an important object of study in the world of dance and even in the world of theater. “Café Müller” is one of Bausch's masterpieces, and the birth of this work is not only another innovation of dance language, but also another manifestation of Bausch's profound revelation of human nature. This paper takes “body metaphor” as the core research perspective, focusing on the non-verbal expressions of “fragmented movement, touch and resistance” in the work, which are not only the core carriers of Bausch's construction of body metaphor, but also the key variables of this paper's analysis. They are both the central vehicle for Bausch's construction of body metaphors and the key variables analyzed in this paper. Through analyzing the specific use of these non-verbal expressions, we will sort out the paths through which the work constructs metaphors based on them, and then further explain how Bausch uses these variables as the medium to realize his critique of social power relations, emotional dilemmas, and social structures through the use of body language and metaphorical expressions. The study aims to provide a new research perspective for a deeper understanding of the social critical dimension of Bausch's Dance Theater, as well as a reference for the study of non-verbal expression in related art works.