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| Twila Tharp | |
|---|---|
| Name | Twila Tharp |
| Birth date | March 1, 1941 |
| Birth place | Portland, Indiana, U.S. |
| Occupation | Choreographer, dancer, author |
| Years active | 1960s–present |
Twila Tharp is an American choreographer and dancer known for innovative works that fuse ballet, modern dance, jazz, and popular music. She has created pieces for major companies and Broadway, collaborating with artists across classical and popular culture and earning wide recognition for bridging concert dance and commercial theater. Her career encompasses work with institutions, performers, and composers in the United States and internationally.
Born in Portland, Indiana, she was raised in Wichita, Kansas and later attended the University of Kansas before studying at the School of American Ballet in New York City. Her formative teachers and mentors included figures associated with Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, and institutions such as the Juilliard School and the American Ballet Theatre, which influenced her technical base and aesthetic direction. Early exposure to regional theaters and touring companies connected her with repertory from choreographers linked to Paul Taylor, George Balanchine, and Alvin Ailey.
She launched a company and began choreographing in the 1960s, creating works for contemporary ensembles and dance companies including Joffrey Ballet, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Royal Ballet, and Paris Opera Ballet. Her career expanded into Broadway and Hollywood, with collaborations involving directors and producers from Lincoln Center, Broadway Theatre, Hollywood Bowl, and film projects featuring performers associated with Meryl Streep, Lou Reed, and orchestras like the New York Philharmonic. She choreographed for and worked with artists connected to Bob Dylan, Paul Simon, and institutions such as the Kennedy Center and the Metropolitan Opera.
Her choreographic vocabulary blends techniques traceable to creators and institutions such as George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Isadora Duncan, and Pina Bausch. She incorporates musical references from composers and performers including Igor Stravinsky, Leonard Bernstein, Philip Glass, Stevie Wonder, and Duke Ellington. The approach shows affinities with avant-garde practices from Fluxus, theatrical methods from Bob Fosse, and interdisciplinary trends seen at venues like the Tate Modern and festivals including the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Notable concert works and productions include pieces premiered with companies such as Boston Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Munich Ballet, and repertory presented at festivals like Jacob's Pillow and the Spoleto Festival USA. Her entries into musical theater and film include collaborations that intersect with productions associated with Stephen Sondheim, Richard Rodgers, Oscar Hammerstein II, and adaptations staged in venues like The Public Theater and the Royal Albert Hall. She has also created ensemble works set to scores by Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, and contemporary composers tied to Philip Glass and John Adams.
Her recognitions include honors parallel to awards given by organizations such as the MacArthur Fellows Program, the National Medal of Arts, and accolades akin to the Tony Award and Obie Award ecosystems. She has been associated with fellowships and prizes granted by institutions like the American Academy of Arts and Letters, the Kennedy Center Honors, and academies similar to the Royal Society of Arts. Her work appears in curated lists and retrospectives by museums and institutions including the Museum of Modern Art, Lincoln Center, and national arts councils connected to the National Endowment for the Arts.
Her personal and professional circles have included collaborators and acquaintances linked to artists such as Paul Taylor, Bob Dylan, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Bernard Holland, and institutions like New York City Center and Carnegie Hall. Residences and studios have connected her to neighborhoods in New York City, regional centers such as Los Angeles, and cultural hubs in London and Paris, bringing her into contact with companies and organizations from those cities.
Her influence is evident in generations of choreographers and dancers affiliated with institutions like the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet, and academic programs at the Juilliard School and Yale School of Drama. Retrospectives of her career have been presented by venues and festivals including Jacob's Pillow, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, and museums like the Museum of Modern Art, reinforcing links between concert dance, Broadway, and film. Her interdisciplinary collaborations continue to inform contemporary practices at conservatories and companies worldwide.
Category:American choreographers Category:American female dancers Category:1941 births Category:Living people