Mar 14
Palm Theatre: SLO Film Center San Luis Obispo, CA
TicketsDr. Kelly Bennion
Associate Dean for Academic Personnel and Operations, College of Liberal Arts, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo; Associate Professor of Psychology, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
andKatie Neville
Dance Teacher, Academy of Dance; Performer, Civic Ballet
Pina— What Moves Us: Pina Bausch and Embodied Cognition
Program Description
Experience the profound intersection of mind and motion at our screening of PINA (2011), a breathtaking cinematic tribute to the legendary Pina Bausch. We’ll open with a psychological exploration led by Dr. Kelly Bennion, who invites us to see movement not just as an expression, but as a vessel where memory and meaning take physical shape. Following the film, Katie will guide the audience through a collaborative choreography exercise inspired by Bausch’s iconic gestural work; a hands-on dive into embodied cognition that requires zero dance experience, just an open mind. Come discover how the body speaks what words cannot.
Film Synopsis
A tribute to the late German choreographer Pina Bausch, as her dancers perform her most famous creations.
The artful and insightful documentary includes performances of her most famous creations by her dancers, serving as a visceral, cinematic eulogy for legendary German choreographer Pina Bausch, who died in 2009. The film showcases her celebrated dance troupe, Tanztheater Wuppertal, performing iconic pieces like Café Müller and Le Sacre du printemps in both traditional theaters and urban landscapes, focusing on the emotional, humanistic power of dance.
Photo credit:
About the Speaker
Dr. Kelly Bennion is the Associate Dean for Academic Personnel and Operations in the College of Liberal Arts and an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology and Child Development at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. As both a neuroscientist whose research focuses on emotional memory and a former professional dancer, she is excited to see her worlds collide in this interdisciplinary event.
Katie Neville is a dance teacher at the Academy of Dance in San Luis Obispo and a performer with the associated Civic Ballet. As a creative and co-founder of MicroHorrors film festival she loves encouraging and engaging in the process of expression.