SUSANNE LINKE
Who grew up in Berlin and lived in Essen for over thirty years before moving to Bremen in 1994, unites in her dance both her origins in the historic German dance tradition and the development of contemporary German dance theatre. She studied first in Berlin under the pioneer of German dance, Mary Wigman, then went to Essen and continued her training at the Folkwang School’s dance department, which was founded by Kurt Jooss. From 1970 – 1973 she was a dancer at the Folkwang Dance Studio under the artistic direction of Pina Bausch and she began to create her own choreographic pieces at this time.
Within a few years she had gained widespread international recognition with her solos and group dances, received several awards and gave guest performances all over Europe as well as in India, South and North America. For almost ten years, until the summer of 1985, she directed the Folkwang Dance Studio and went on tour with the group to South America as well as to other countries.
Until 1996, she has worked as a freelance choreographer and dancer and has also been invited to work with international ensembles as a guest choreographer, among them the Grupo Corpo in Brazil, the Limon Company in New York, the GRCOP at the Paris Opera, the Nederlands Dans Theater and the Kibbuz Dance Company.
In the early nineties she formed her own "Company Susanne Linke" and created two group pieces with seven male dancers. "Ruhr-Ort" and "Märkische Landschaft" received international invitations.During the same period, the Hebbel Theater in Berlin invited her to become an Artist in Residence, which gave her the opportunity to produce a creation under the auspices of the Hebbel Theater once every year.
Together with her partner Urs Dietrich as co-director, she started to build up a new company at the Bremer Theater in 1994. With the company Bremer Tanztheater she travelled to southeast Asia and Middle America.
2000-2001, the Choreographic Centre in Essen has been built up under her artistic direction.
At the Choreographic Center Essen she creates “TanzDisTanz” with Urs Dietrich (June 2003) and the Reconstruction of her famous Solo “ Schritte verfolgen”(February 2007)
Since 2001, she works again as freelance choreographer, among others for Limon Dance Comopany New York (2004),. for Ballet of the Opera Paris (2005), Kibbuz Dance School, Versilia Danza Florence (2007), and “Choreographisches Theater” Bonn , Aalto Theater Essen and Jeanne Ruddy Dance Company Philadelphia (2008).
In 2007 Susanne Linke received the German Dance Award.
In 2008 Susanne Linke received the French Award “L’officier de l’orde pour les arts et des lettres”.
