Paul Taylor Dance Company

As an artist whose career has spanned over five decades, Paul Taylor continues to challenge and mystify audiences with new repertory while his classic works remain just as powerful and relevant. In a program slated with classics, the Paul Taylor Dance Company will present one of his most famous works, Aureole, originally commissioned by the ADF and now celebrating its 50th anniversary. Set to baroque music by George Handel, Taylor shows the timelessness of his romantic and stunning choreography. His 1970 work Big Bertha, not seen at the ADF since 1979, follows a happily married couple and their daughter through their visit to an amusement park. Yet, as with many Taylor’s works, beyond the surface level of this comedy lies a hair-raising exploration of life’s deepest tragedies. The company will also perform Gossamer Gallants (2011), a hilarious glimpse into the mating rituals of insects, and Piazzolla Caldera (1997), a sizzling view of the social identities and attitudes found in the passionate tango.

Post Performance Discussion: Friday, July 20

Children's Matinee Performance: Saturday, July 21, 1:00pm

About Paul Taylor
As the last living member of the pantheon that created America's indigenous art of modern dance, Paul Taylor continues to offer cogent observations on life’s complexities while tackling some of society’s thorniest issues. He first presented his choreography with five other dancers in Manhattan on May 30, 1954. That modest performance marked the beginning of a half-century of unrivaled creativity. In the five decades that have followed, he has become a cultural icon hailed for his choreographic genius. Taylor has received nearly every important honor given to artists in the US including the 1992 Kennedy Center Honors, an Emmy Award, a National Medal of Arts, the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement, the New York State Governor's Arts Award and the New York City Mayor's Award of Honor for Art and Culture, among many others.