Paul Taylor (choreographer)
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| Paul Taylor (choreographer) | |
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| Name | Paul Taylor |
| Caption | Paul Taylor in 1990 |
| Birth date | March 29, 1930 |
| Birth place | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Death date | August 29, 2018 |
| Death place | Manhattan, New York City, United States |
| Occupation | Choreographer, dancer |
| Years active | 1954–2018 |
| Known for | Founder of Paul Taylor Dance Company; works such as "Esplanade", "Aureole", "Company B" |
Paul Taylor (choreographer) was an American dancer and choreographer who became a central figure in postwar modern dance alongside contemporaries such as Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Alvin Ailey, and Paul Taylor Dance Company peers. Renowned for works blending lyricism and abstraction, Taylor created a repertory performed by companies including New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and regional ensembles worldwide. His oeuvre influenced generations of dancers, choreographers, and institutions from the Judson Dance Theater era through the late 20th century.
Early life and education
Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Taylor grew up in Fort Worth, Texas and attended Baylor University before transferring to Syracuse University where he studied under faculty connected to the Graham technique lineage. During military service in the United States Army he was exposed to performance traditions that later informed theatricality in works like Aureole. After studying with Martha Graham in New York City and briefly with Merce Cunningham, Taylor joined the Martha Graham Dance Company and later performed with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, appearing in productions alongside artists linked to John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, and Isamu Noguchi.
Career and major works
Taylor founded the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1954, premiering early solos and ensemble pieces at venues such as Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Tanglewood, and New York City Center. His breakthrough works included Esplanade (1975), Aureole (1962), Company B (1991), and Piazzolla Caldera (1997), which drew on collaborators associated with Duke Ellington, Igor Stravinsky, Astor Piazzolla, and composers from the American Composers Forum. Taylor staged works for institutions including New York City Ballet dancers and produced evening-length pieces for festivals like Spoleto Festival USA and international tours to Paris Opera Ballet venues. He choreographed for film projects and televised dance specials with producers linked to PBS, expanding modern dance visibility during the Cold War cultural milieu. Major revivals of Taylor repertory were presented at Lincoln Center and global tours featured casts drawn from schools such as Juilliard School and programs like the School of American Ballet.
Choreographic style and influences
Taylor's style combined minimalism and theatrical narrative, integrating influences from Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Isadora Duncan traces, and popular culture rooted in American vernacular sources. He cited inspirations ranging from French New Wave cinema to the music of George Gershwin and Igor Stravinsky, creating pieces that juxtaposed classical line with quotidian gestures akin to works by Pina Bausch and experimental impulses shared with Judson Church artists. Critics compared his phrasing to the lyricism of Balanchine and the social satire of Jerome Robbins, while music collaborators included figures connected to Leonard Bernstein, Philip Glass, and John Adams.
Company: Paul Taylor Dance Company
The Paul Taylor Dance Company, established in New York City with early seasons at Guthrie Theatre and Twyla Tharp-era venues, became a repertory ensemble preserving Taylor's canon. The company performed internationally at houses like Royal Opera House, toured under auspices of cultural exchange programs tied to National Endowment for the Arts, and nurtured dancers who later directed companies including Christopher Wheeldon-trained artists and alumni who joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The organization's archives, housing scores, notations, and rehearsal footage, collaborate with institutions such as New York Public Library for the Performing Arts for preservation and scholarship.
Awards and honors
Taylor received numerous recognitions: the MacArthur Fellows Program "genius grant", Kennedy Center Honors, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom; he was honored by National Medal of Arts ceremonies and elected to halls associated with American Academy of Arts and Letters. He won awards from the Tony Awards committees for choreography on projects connected to theatrical producers, as well as lifetime achievement awards from festivals such as Jacob's Pillow and dance institutions like Dance Magazine.
Personal life
Taylor maintained residences in New York City and Saratoga Springs, New York, and was known for friendships with artists including Lucinda Childs, Merce Cunningham, and collaborators in music and visual art circles such as Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol. He navigated public discourse around sexuality and the arts, associating with advocacy networks that intersected with organizations like ACT UP during the AIDS crisis and benefitted from support by patrons linked to philanthropic foundations including Rockefeller Foundation.
Legacy and impact
Taylor's legacy endures through the Paul Taylor Dance Company, pedagogy at conservatories such as Juilliard School and programs at New York University, and through restagings by companies including San Francisco Ballet and Australian Ballet. His repertory remains central to modern dance curricula in institutions like The Juilliard School, Boston Conservatory, and international conservatories in London, Paris, and Tokyo. Scholars publish analyses through presses tied to Oxford University Press and articles in journals like Dance Research Journal examining his influence on choreographic form, narrative dance, and 20th-century American cultural history.
Category:American choreographers Category:1930 births Category:2018 deaths