Paul Taylor | Biography, Dance, & Facts - Britannica

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• The Kennedy Center - Biography of Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor American dancer and choreographer Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: Paul Belville Taylor Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

Paul Taylor (born July 29, 1930, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.—died August 29, 2018, New York, New York) was an American modern dancer and choreographer noted for the inventive, frequently humorous, and sardonic dances that he choreographed for his company.

Entering Syracuse University in 1947 on a scholarship, Taylor took painting classes and joined the swim team. He began dance training in 1951 and subsequently studied modern dance at Juilliard with Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and José Limón and ballet with Antony Tudor and Margaret Craske. He began his professional career in 1953 with Martha Graham’s company, creating such important roles as Aegisthus in Clytemnestra (1958), Hercules in Alcestis (1960), and Theseus in Phaedra (1962). He also performed in works by other modern choreographers, including those of Charles Weidman and Merce Cunningham. He danced a solo created for him by George Balanchine in Episodes (1959), a work choreographed by Balanchine and Graham to music by Anton Webern.

As a choreographer, Taylor utilized a wide variety of movement styles, some of which he described as “flat” (two-dimensional in appearance), “dance scribbling” (emphasis on action rather than on shape or line), and “lyric” (“long arms”). His avant-garde works ranged from Duet (1957), in which he and his partner remained motionless for four minutes, to Orbs (1966), an hour-long composition to Beethoven’s last string quartets. Other well-known dances included Three Epitaphs (1956), Aureole (1962), Scudorama (1963), The Book of Beasts (1971), Esplanade and Runes (1975), Cloven Kingdom (1976), Aphrodisiamania (1977), Airs (1978), Nightshade (1979), and Le Sacre du Printemps (1980). His Aureole entered the repertoires of such major ballet troupes as the Paris Opéra Ballet and the Royal Danish Ballet.

Quick Facts In full: Paul Belville Taylor (Show more) Born: July 29, 1930, Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania, U.S. (Show more) Died: August 29, 2018, New York, New York (aged 88) (Show more) Awards And Honors: Kennedy Center Honors (1992) (Show more) See all related content

Taylor’s company, established in 1954 and usually numbering 13 dancers, first performed in Europe in 1960, toured South America in 1965 under the International Cultural Exchange Program of the U.S. State Department, and in 1978 toured the U.S.S.R. and appeared on the U.S. public-television network. Taylor also choreographed for the Spoleto (Italy) Festival of Two Worlds and won several prestigious awards. He withdrew from performing in the 1970s.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.