Paul Taylor: Grand Gestures, Grand Space
Light shines into the large, dingy studio located just above New York City’s Union Square. A head peeks out from behind the long, black curtain that hangs at the left side of the studio. We peer back with anticipation. She disappears.
A few seconds pass, and soon the whole company is before us chatting and stretching. “No big introduction?” a dancer jests with a playful smile as the open rehearsal I have come to see commences.
The lack of fanfare is not at all indicative of the group’s stature. This is one of the world’s greatest dance companies: that of Paul Taylor.
We are about to see a showing of “Beloved Renegade,” which New York Times chief dance critic Alastair Macaulay described as the best new choreography he saw in 2008 and “Changes,” a dance set to the music of The Mamas and the Papas that will have it’s New York premiere this month at City Center.
Photo by Richard Calmes
Press materials note that “Changes” revisits the conflict and energy of the 1960s, but “Beloved Renegade” is the one that feels like a war dance.
The dancers move through “Renegade” with a sort of slow and steady resoluteness, as if they are standing strong while something crumbles, someone falls. Inspired by the poetry and life of Walt Whitman, there is not an over-arching narrative. But, Taylor says, “There are small stories – bits of his life.”
Considered by many to be the greatest living choreographer, at age 78 Taylor is still creating unforgettable works communicating the power and depth of human feeling with some combination of force, wit, beauty and intelligence. In 1974, Clive Barnes called the company “one of the most exciting, innovative, and delightful dance companies in the entire world,” and 35 years later it remains so today.
Photo by Richard Calmes
But, in the United States, these accolades do not always equal financial success. Unlike the stars of fashion or pop culture, whose works can be easily reproduced and consumed, dance makers often struggle to stay afloat, as their product resists the demands of the market. Also, unlike many European countries where the arts are well funded by the government, our system relies heavily on the generosity of private citizens.
Because of this, the Paul Taylor Dance Company’s continuance, like so many arts institutions, has never been something to take for granted. In fact, not long after Barnes made his sweeping remark about the company, it disbanded.
“A tour fell through. We didn’t have any money at all. I didn’t know how I was going to pay the dancers or the bills,” Taylor explains. Critic Anna Kisselgoff wrote an article for The New York Times explaining the company’s troubles, and a generous individual named John Holmes stepped in. “He volunteered to become our board president and get things going again.” They were able to resume operations, but their financial future was still uncertain.
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