Conversations from Penn State

Paul Taylor

Dancemaker

Delve into the creative process of a dance icon.

ABOUT THE EPISODE

Paul Taylor, the iconoclastic choreographer who Martha Graham dubbed the “naughty boy” of dance, has both confused and enthralled audiences across the globe. He discusses his career, his sources of inspiration, and his autobiography Private Domain.

Download the transcript.

For a captioned version of this interview, go to YouTube.

ABOUT THE GUEST

Paul Taylor is the last living member of the pantheon that created America’s indigenous art of modern dance. Since creating his first dance in 1954, he has amassed a growing collection of 135 dances performed by his celebrated Company of 16 dancers and the six-member Taylor 2. As the subject of the documentary, Dancemaker, and author of the autobiography, Private Domain, and Why I Make Dances, he has shed light on the mysteries of the creative process as few artists ever have.

Taylor was born in 1930 and grew up in and around Washington, DC. He discovered dance in the late 1940s and began studying at Juilliard. By 1954 he had assembled a small company of dancers and was making his own works. He joined the Martha Graham Dance Company in 1955 for the first of seven seasons as soloist while continuing to choreograph on his own troupe. In 1959 he danced with New York City Ballet as a guest artist.

After retiring as a performer in 1974, Mr. Taylor devoted himself fully to choreography and remains among the most sought-after choreographers working today. He has received every important honor given to artists in the United States including the 1992 Kennedy Center Honors, the 1993 National Medal of Arts and the French Legion of Honor in 2000.

Photo Courtesy of Maxine Hicks

More About Paul Taylor

• Paul Taylor Dance Company
• PBS American Masters: Paul Taylor
• Watch: Paul Taylor: Dancemaker
• Read an excerpt from Private Domain
• Letter to a Dancer

More About Dance

• Types of Dance
• Martha Graham
• Merce Cunningham
• Merce Cunningham at Penn State
• Buy Book/Support WPSU - Private Domain: An Autobiography of Paul Taylor
• Buy DVD/Support WPSU - Paul Taylor: Dancemaker (DVD)

PENN STATE CONNECTION

• Paul Taylor, IAH Medal for Distinguished Achievement
• Penn State Institute of Arts and Humanities
• Penn State Center for the Performing Arts

WHERE TO WATCH

WPSU

Thursday, November 10th at 9pm

ABOUT THE HOST

Veteran interviewer Patty Satalia hosts in-depth conversations with a broad range of remarkable people.

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