The Paul Taylor Dance Company, now in its 55th year, is one of the world's most exquisite ensembles.
Dancemaker Paul Taylor first presented his choreography with five other dancers and himself in Manhattan on May 30, 1954. That modest performance marked the beginning of a half-century of unrivaled creativity. In the decades to come, Mr. Taylor became a cultural icon -- indeed, a living legend and one of history's most celebrated artists. His two dance companies (Taylor 2 was created in 1993) travel the globe many times over, bringing his ever-burgeoning repertoire to theaters and venues of every size and description in cultural capitals, on college campuses and in rural communities -- and often to places modern dance has never been before. His choreography, once deemed experimental, avant-garde and even "painful" to sit through, quickly became the gold standard of modern dance, one of America's two indigenous art forms (the other being jazz.) And he bridged, as no other choreographer, the once-distant camps of ballet and modern dance by allowing internationally acclaimed ballet companies to acquire the works he creates on his own celebrated troupe. He has been showered with every prestigious award the United States and France can bestow on an artist. And, perhaps most remarkable of all, his creative powers have shown no sign of abating even after 129 dances.
The Paul Taylor Dance Company has performed Mr. Taylor's works in more than 520 cities in 62 countries. It has represented the United States at arts festivals in more than 40 countries and has toured extensively under the aegis of the U.S. Department of State. In 1997 the Company toured throughout India in celebration of that nation's 50th Anniversary. The Company's 1999 engagement in Chile was named the Best International Dance Event of 1999 by the country's Art Critics' Circle. In the summer of 2001 the Company toured in The People's Republic of China and performed in six cities, four of which had never seen American modern dance before. In the spring of 2003 the Company mounted an award-winning four-week, seven-city tour of the United Kingdom. The Company's performances in China in November 2007 mark its fourth tour there.
While continuing to garner international acclaim, the Paul Taylor Dance Company performs more than half of each touring season in cities throughout the United States. The Company's annual season at New York City Center in March 2005 was attended by nearly 26,000 people. In celebration of the Company's 50th Anniversary and 50 years of creativity by one of the most extraordinary artists the world has ever known, the Taylor Foundation presented Mr. Taylor's works in all 50 States between March 2004 and November 2005. The tour underscored the Taylor Company's historic role as one of the early touring companies of American modern dance. The 50th Anniversary celebration also featured a Golden Quartet of new dances.
Beginning with its first television appearance for the Dance in America series in 1978, the Company has appeared on PBS in nine different programs, including the 1991 Emmy Award-winning Speaking in Tongues. and The Wrecker's Ball -- including Company B, Funny Papers, and A Field of Grass -- which was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1997. In 1999 the PBS American Masters series aired Dancemaker, the Academy Award nominated documentary about Mr. Taylor and his Company. In 2004, PBS aired Acts of Ardor, featuring Black Tuesday and Promethean Fire. Dancemaker is available on home video.
