There was a black cat named Pino. Pino was the companion of a friend who lived in a loft in the White Street in Tribeca, NYC. His name was Manuel Alum. A dancer, Manuel was a charismatic and hypnotic performer. He was utterly committed to his art, to a fault.
I met Manuel at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 1980, some years later I joined his performing tribe in NYC. I call it a tribe because for many of us, dancers, performing becomes more than a profession. The dance becomes a life-long obsession to show the non-dancing world, what a transformation this art can trigger in people. We are in the tribe.
Manuel Alum had a friend nicknamed Pina. They most likely met many years before in Italy. They were both members of the tribe. I don’t know if Pina liked Pino, or if that matters at all. Exactly 30 years ago, Manuel gathered the three of us to celebrate our birthdays – hers in that evening and mine past midnight.
A curious twist of fate intertwines our tribes again. I now work creating history from the memories of other extraordinary members of her tribe – to document her legacy. She triggered transformation in many levels and for many people. This is a joy and a privilege. Happy birthday Pina Bausch.
oral history