PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY

Biography

“First there was Martha Graham, who changed the face of dance and discovered a new world; then Merce Cunningham, who stripped away outward form to penetrate the heart of movement; and finally Paul Taylor, who brought sunlight into dance.”
— Laura Shapiro, Newsweek

Paul Taylor Dance Company

The Paul Taylor Dance Company is one of the world’s most celebrated and sought-after modern dance companies.
Founded in 1954 by choreographer Paul Taylor, the company was directed by him until his death in August 2018 at the age of 88. Artistic direction is now entrusted to Michael Novak.
The company’s repertoire includes all 147 works created by Paul Taylor throughout his career, alongside new commissions by contemporary choreographers. In 2019, the company celebrated its 65th season, having performed in more than 500 theatres across 64 countries worldwide.

Company Members

Michael Trusnovec, Robert Kleinendorst, Michelle Fleet, Parisa Khobdeh, Sean Mahoney, Eran Bugge, Laura Halzack, Jamie Rae Walker, Michael Apuzzo, Michael Novak, Heather McGinley, George Smallwood, Christina Lynch Markham, Madelyn Ho, Kristin Draucker, Lee Duveneck, Alex Clayton, Devon Louis, John Harnage.

Artistic Team

• Founding Artistic Director: Paul Taylor
• Artistic Director: Michael Novak
• Rehearsal Directors: Bettie de Jong, Andy LeBeau
• Principal Lighting Designers: Jennifer Tipton, James F. Ingalls
• Principal Set & Costume Designers: Santo Loquasto, William Ivey Long
• Executive Director: John Tomlinson

Paul Taylor

With 147 creations since founding the company in 1954, Paul Taylor stands as one of the great pioneers of American modern dance.
Through his choreography, he created compelling portraits of everyday life and explored some of society’s most complex and challenging issues.
A virtuoso performer for twenty years, Taylor devoted himself exclusively to choreography beginning in 1974. The first work he created afterward, Esplanade, immediately became a modern classic.
His works are performed not only by the Paul Taylor Dance Company but also by Taylor 2 and numerous dance companies around the world.
Taylor received many of America’s highest artistic honors, including the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors and the National Medal of Arts. He was also the subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary Dancemaker and the author of the acclaimed autobiography Private Domain.

The Company Legacy

Since its founding in 1954, the company has become internationally recognized as a benchmark of excellence in modern dance.
Paul Taylor choreographed approximately 147 works for the ensemble, many of which are now regarded as iconic masterpieces of twentieth-century dance.
The company has toured in 64 countries and more than 524 cities worldwide. Even in later years, Taylor continued creating at least two new works annually for his ensemble of sixteen dancers.
His autobiography Private Domain was published in 1987, while the documentary Dancemaker received an Academy Award nomination in 1999. In 2013, Taylor also published Facts and Fancies, a collection of essays marked by wit and intelligence.
Since August 2018, the company has continued under the leadership of Michael Novak, preserving and expanding the extraordinary artistic legacy of Paul Taylor.