Paul Taylor Article Index for
Paul Taylor
Articles about
Paul Taylor
Website Links For
Paul
 

Information About

Paul Taylor




, 1960]]
Paul Taylor (born July 29 , 1930 ) is one of the foremost American Choreographer s of the 20th Century .

He was born in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania , and attended Syracuse University (on scholarships in painting and swimming), where he first took up dance. He continued his studies at the Juilliard School and the American Dance Festival at Connecticut College . In 1952 his dancing at the American Dance Festival attracted the attention of choreographers Martha Graham , José Limón , Charles Weidman , and Doris Humphrey .

He performed in the companies of Merce Cunningham , Martha Graham , and George Balanchine , and founded the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1954 . Dancers who emerged from his company include Twyla Tharp , Laura Dean , Dan Wagoner , Carolyn Adams , Christopher Gillis , Senta Driver and David Parsons .

The use of everyday gestures rather than dance moves is characteristic of his choreography. He has collaborated with painters Robert Rauschenberg , Jasper Johns , and Alex Katz , as well as the legendary Tiffany & Co. designer Gene Moore . A signature work is ''Esplanade'' (1975), to music by Johann Sebastian Bach , which he choreographed with a contribution from the National Endowment For The Arts .

In his autobiography '' Private Domain '' (1987), Taylor states his bisexuality, but concludes that, "As far as romance goes, I can forget it."1


QUOTES

"Sometimes I think a company's morale is more important than the choreography."
(Interview with Jeffrey Brown on "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer" (2007).


SEE ALSO



EXTERNAL LINKS



REFERENCES