Pina Bausch, a dancer and choreographer known for her innovative work, died Tuesday in Wuppertal, Germany. She was 68.

Her death came five days after she was diagnosed with cancer, the Associated Press reported.

Bausch, artistic director of the Wuppertal Dance Theater, had an international reputation. She was known for works such as “Cafe Muller,” which involved dancers crashing into tables and chairs, and “Palermo Palermo,” which required them to balance apples on their heads.

Last year, The Guardian of London praised Bausch’s ability to “combine movement of shocking visceral intensity with stage visions of often hallucinogenic strangeness.” Her choreography was featured in Pedro Almodovar’s Oscar-winning film, “Talk to Her.”