Bio
Paul Taylor
Paul Taylor is the last living member of the pantheon that created America's indigenous art of modern dance. At an age when most artists' best work is behind them, Mr. Taylor continues to win acclaim for the vibrancy, relevance and power of his recent dances as well as his classics. As prolific as ever, he continues to offer cogent observations on life's complexities while tackling some of society's thorniest issues. He may propel his dancers through space for the sheer beauty of it, or use them to wordlessly illuminate war, spirituality, sexuality, morality and mortality. If, as Balanchine said, there are no mothers-in-law in ballet, there certainly are dysfunctional families, ex-lovers, fallen preachers, rapists, angels and insects in Taylor dance.
Encyclopædia Britannica Articles
- dance
Form of expression that uses bodily movements that are rhythmic, patterned (or sometimes improvised), and usually accompanied by music. One of the oldest art forms, dance is found in every culture and is performed for purposes ranging from the ceremonial, liturgical, and magical to the theatrical, social, and simply aesthetic. In Europe, tribal dances often evolved into folk dances, which became stylized in the social dances of the 16th-century European courts. Ballet developed from the court dances and became refined by innovations in choreography and technique. In the 20th century, modern dance introduced a new mode of expressive movement. See also allemande; ballroom dance; country dance; courante; gavotte; gigue; hula; jitterbug; Ländler; mazurka; merengue; minuet; morris dance; pavane; polka; polonaise; quadrille; samba; sarabande; square dance; sword dance; tango; tap dance; waltz.
- dance on britannica.com
- Taylor, Paul (Belville)
Paul Taylor and Bettie de Jong in Scudorama, 1967Jack Mitchell(born July 29, 1930, Wilkinsburg, Pa., U.S.) U.S. modern dancer, choreographer, and director. In 1953 he joined Martha Graham's company, where he was a leading soloist until 1960. In 1957 he established the Paul Taylor Dance Company. As a choreographer he employed a wide variety of movement styles, some of which he described as “flat” (two-dimensional in appearance), “dance scribbling” (emphasis on action rather than on shape or line), and “lyric” (“long arms”). His works include Duet (1957), Aureole (1962), Orbs (1966), and Nightshade (1979). In 1993 he formed Taylor 2, a small group of dancers who perform in smaller venues and teach the Taylor style.
- Taylor, Paul (Belville) on britannica.com
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