Paul Taylor Dance Company

The Paul Taylor Dance Company performing Taylor's Esplanade.

Paul Taylor Dance Company, is a contemporary dance company, formed by dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor. The modern dance company is based in New York, New York and was founded in 1954.

Taylor originally performed in the companies of Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, and George Balanchine, and founded his own in 1954. Dancers/Choreographers who emerged from his company include Twyla Tharp, David Parsons, Laura Dean, Dan Wagoner, Elizabeth Keen, Christopher Gillis, Senta Driver, Amy Marshall, and Lila York.

History

Paul Taylor Dance Company and the Paul 2 Taylor Dance Company, created in 1993, they started as a small company and expanded later. In 1997 the Company throughout India in celebration of the nation’s 50th Anniversary. In the summer of 2001 the Company toured in the People’s Republic of China and danced in six countries, four of which who have never seen American Modern Dance before. The Company’s performances in China in November 2007 made it their fourth tour in the country. One of the early touring companies of American modern dance, the Company has "performed in more than 500 cities in 62 countries and still spends more than half of each performance season touring in American cities. They first started performed in Europe in 1960 and toured South America under several programs. The Company has appeared in PBS programs nine times. In 1999, the PBS American Masters series aired Matthew Diamond's Oscar-nominated documentary about Paul Taylor and his company, Dancemaker. Twyla Tharp joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1963 and two years later formed her own company. Christopher Gillis joined in 1976. He was a member until his death in 1993. Bettie de Jong joined the Taylor Company in 1962. Noted for her strong stage presence and long line, she was Paul Taylor's favorite dancing partner and, as Rehearsal Director, has been his right arm for the past 51 years. She finished her active dancing career in 1985.

In 2005, it was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Paul Taylor School

The Taylor School has taught Mr. Taylor’s style to professional-level dancers since 1984. Raegan Wood is the school's director. All classes at the school are taught by Taylor Company alumni, but the primary instructor is alumna Reagan. The school has for toddlers, teens and adults with any level of experience. They have 7 different levels in which the students move up as the progress. These levels include, Taylor Tots (Ages 2–3 with an adult), Level 1 (Ages 4–6), Level 2 (Ages 7–9), Level 3 (Ages 10–12), Level 4 (Ages 13–18), Advanced Taylor Teen (Ages 14–18), and Open Level Modern (Adults) .Those new to dance are accepted in all levels except Advanced Taylor Teen. The Advanced Taylor Teen class are for those who have already achieved in high technical classes and they need to be able to learn quickly. So, basically these dancers need to be well experienced. Classes for the younger students focus mainly on creative movement and modern dance, while the older students learn through Paul Taylor style of choreography and his Company level technique. In the Level 1 class the students are learning the basics of modern dance.[1] This program has been a new addition to the Taylor school. All levels emphasize the combination of athleticism and artistry that the dance company is known for.

Awards

- Kennedy Center Honors(1992)

- MacArthur Fellowship(1985)

- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography(1992)

- Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts(1961)

- Bessie Lifetime Achievement Award(2012)[2]

Performances and repertory

The Taylor Company have traveled the globe multiple times and performed in more than 540 cities and in sixty-four countries. They have represented the United States at art festivals, in more than forty countries. The Company has created a reputation as one of the best dance organization in the world.[3] In March 2016 Paul Taylor Dance Company performed its annual New York season show for the first time in fifty-eight years. They performed over twenty-two dances but, only three of the twenty-two were the most important and exported some of Taylor’s work the best. House of Joy is the first important dance. It had a little plot to it but, was a sketch of a mid-20th century brothe. The characterizations were the most memorable. Then there was the Uncommitted and this left a message to the audience that even though we feel alone we still belong to a community. Lastly, there was Aureole and this showed the strong bones of Taylor's lyrical dance. The Company have also performed at the Sarasota Ballet.[4] They performed three dances spanning from 1988 to 2007 and they made some type of connection with those in the audience. To open the show was “Brandenburgs”, it was created nearly thirty years ago but was for the pure dance lovers. Then there was this pieced named “Lines of Loss”. This dance was choreographed in 2007 and was reference to small daily deaths. One of the dancers said it “Taylor may have been pondering his own mortality”. “Black Tuesday” demonstrated how life combines tragedy and humor. This was Taylor's last piece of the night and it was a series of character studies of human economic adversity. The dancers performed in front of a changing backdrop projections in period costumes and to popular songs of the era. Taylor’s style of dance is powerful, diverse, and still growing and continues to make, at least, two new dances every year.

Dancers and Choreographers

● Raegan Wood

● Joao Mauricio Carvalho

● Richard Chen See

● Amy Young

The company members of The Paul Taylor Dance Company are:

● Michael Trusnovec, has danced with Taylor 2, Cortez & Co. Contemporary/Ballet, and Corbin Dances.

● Robert Kleinendorst, danced with the Gail Gilbert Dance Ensemble, and Cortez & Co. after moving to New York.

● James Samson, studied as a scholarship student with David Parsons New Arts Festival, Pilobolus Intensive Workshop, Alvin Ailey Summer Intensive and joined PTDC in February 2001.

● Michelle Fleet, has performed in works by Bill. Jones, Merce Cunningham, Kevin Wynn, Carlo Menotti, and joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in September 2002.

● Parisa Khobdeh, attended Paul Taylor and Martha Graham dance intensives in New York City and joined Paul Taylor Dance Company at the American Dance Festival in Summer 2003.

● Sean Mahoney, was chosen as one of the first members of the Paul Taylor 2 Dance Company in 1993 and has danced for David Parsons, Alex Tresor, and Geoffrey Doig-Marx.

● Eran Bugge, has performed in works of Amy Marshall, Katie Stevinson-Nollet, Jean Grand-Maitre, and joined Paul Taylor Dance Company in Fall 2005.

● Francisco Graciano, has been a member of TAKE Dance Company, Michael Mao Dance, Cortez & Co. along with a couple of others. He joined Paul Taylor Dance Company in Spain in Summer 2006.

● Laura Halzack, has performed with the Amy Marshall Dance Company, Syren Modern Dance and, studied at the Taylor school for two years before the Company in Summer 2006

● Jamie Rae Walker, performed with American Repertory Ballet while studying ballet and joined Paul Taylor Dance Company in Summer 2008.

● Michael Apuzzo, danced and choreographed in undergraduate companies and joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Fall 2008.

● Michael Novak, has performed pieces by Bill T. Jones, Stephen Petronio, Vaslav Nijinsky, and participated in the Taylor Summer Intensive before the joining the Company in Summer 2010. In May 2018 Paul Taylor personally announced Mr. Novak would be appointed Artistic Director Designate Paul Taylor American Modern Dance effective July 1, 2018.

● Heather McGinley, was member of the Graham II for two seasons and participated in the 2010 at The Taylor School then joined the Company in Spring 2011.

● George Smallwood, first joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in spring 2011 and later rejoined in Summer 2012.

● Christina Lynch Markham, danced with Amy Marshall Dance Company, Stacie Nelson and the Dance Theater Company. She joined Paul Taylor 2 Dance Company in Summer 2008 and the Company in Spring 2013.

● Madelyn Ho, performed with Urbanity Dance and joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Spring 2015.

● Kristin Draucker, has danced with Michael Mao Dance, ArmitageGone!Dance, New Chamber Ballet since she moved to New York and joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in Winter 2017.

[1] "Paul Taylor Dance Company | The Lo-Down: News from the Lower East Side." The LoDown News from the Lower East Side. Accessed March 28, 2017. http://www.thelodownny.com/leslog/tag/paul-taylor-dance-company.

[2] Wakin, Daniel J. "Paul Taylor to Receive Bessie Lifetime Achievement Award." The New York Times. September 25, 2012. Accessed March 28, 2017. https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/25/paul-taylor-to-receive-bessie-lifetime-achievement-award/?_r=0.

[3] Kaufman, Sarah L. "Paul Taylor's vintage works and classic joys." The Washington Post. May 26, 2016. Accessed March 28, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theater_dance/paul-taylors-vintage-works-and-classic-joys/2016/05/26/93bee4ae-2364-11e6-8690-f14ca9de2972_story.html.

[4] Seidman, Carrie. "Dance Review: Paul Taylor Company provides a different flavor of the month." Sarasota Herald. February 25, 2017. Accessed March 28, 2017. http://www.heraldtribune.com/news/20170225/dance-review-paul-taylor-company-provides-different-flavor-of-month.

Board

The Company is a charitable, not-for-profit organization managed by a board of trustees, which includes Taylor, as well as chairman C. F. Stone III, and vice-chairs Elise Jaffe, Scott King, Max R. Shulman, Stephen D. Weinroth, and Robert A. Scott, treasurer Joseph A. Smith, and secretary Joan C. Bowman.[5]

Reviews

  • The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts says "...one of the world’s most exquisite ensembles."[6]
  • PBS refers to this Dance Company as "one of American's premier troupes"[7]
  • Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts says "One of the world's most brilliant dance companies..." and calls Paul Taylor "...a living legend."[8]

Performances on video

  • Nonesuch VHS (1992) Speaking in Tongues, ASIN: 6302550394
  • PBS Thirteen/WNET VHS (1996) The Wrecker's Ball (Company B, Funny Papers, A Field of Grass)
  • Warnervision VHS (1999) Paul Taylor Dance Company (Esplanade, Runes), ASIN: 1568327889
  • Docurama DVD (2000) Dancemaker, ASIN: 0767023447

References

  1. ↑ "Paul Taylor Dance Company | The Lo-Down : News from the Lower East Side". www.thelodownny.com. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  2. ↑ Wakin, Daniel J. "Paul Taylor to Receive Bessie Lifetime Achievement Award". ArtsBeat. Retrieved 2017-03-30.
  3. ↑ Kaufman, Sarah L.; Kaufman, Sarah L. (2016-05-26). "Paul Taylor's vintage works and classic joys". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  4. ↑ Seidman, Carrie (February 25, 2017). ""Dance Review: Paul Taylor Company provides a different flavor of the month."". Sarasota Herald. Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Board". Paul Taylor Dance Company. Retrieved March 18, 2017.
  6. ↑ Kennedy Center: Information about Paul Taylor Dance Company
  7. ↑ American Masters . Paul Taylor | PBS
  8. ↑ Penn Presents: Paul Taylor Dance Company
  • Official website
  • Article at UCSB.edu
  • Paul Taylor: Dancemaker on IMDb 1998
  • "Paul Taylor Dance Company collected news and commentary". The New York Times.
  • Constructing The Wrecker's Ball Dance Magazine, October, 1996
  • Archival footage of Paul Taylor Dance Company performing Airs in 1982 at Jacob's Pillow
  • Archival footage of Taylor's "Company B" performed at the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival in 2000


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