Tipping Point by Pia Meuthen

Jury about the nomination 

’With poetic movement performances in which acrobatics and dance merge with composition and image, Panama Pictures is a unique addition to the Dutch dance field. Tipping Point is a highlight of its oeuvre. In a world that threatens to become unbalanced with every movement, the dancers depict how the power of together transcends the wobble of the moment.‘’

About Pia Meuthen

Pia Meuthen (Duisburg, 1972) took her dance training at the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten and Fontys Dance Academy in Tilburg. In 2002, she founded Panama Pictures. Supported by workshops and production houses, Pia gets the chance to further develop her signature and put Panama Pictures on the map. In 2009, she and Panama Pictures become Danshuis Station Zuid's resident choreographers. After Danshuis Station Zuid closes its doors at the end of 2012, Panama Pictures makes a successful relaunch on its own and becomes the house company of the Verkadefabriek in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

Pia opts for a new artistic vision that focuses on the integration of dance and circus. With her company, she develops a unique language in which the disciplines effortlessly merge and dialogue with architectural sets and live music. Pia creates work that literally soars and embraces risk, but does not put technical excellence first. Closely intertwined with dance, the acrobatics create a language that makes a grand gesture, is powerful and creates a physical sensation in the audience. 

In 2018, Pia will receive the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund North Brabant's culture award for her ‘unique and impressive oeuvre that has enriched Brabant with titillating performances of unprecedented eloquence’. Pia likes to dedicate herself to the development of young dance and circus makers and initiates research at the interface of the disciplines. In recent years, many young makers have been able to develop further under the wings of her company.

Image by: Angeline Swinkels