The doyenne of modern dance, Martha Graham, called Paul Taylor the "naughty boy" of dance when he joined her company in the 1950s. His work has shaken up and exhilarated audiences for more than a half century. Astoundingly, he is choreographing all of the dances in his own company, even though he's well into his 80s.
His company has performed in more than 500 cities and 60 countries, and Taylor's achievements have led to France's highest award, the Legion of Honor, and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship known as the "genius award."
You can see what the acclaim is about Wednesday night when the Paul Taylor Dance Company returns to Rose Lehrman Arts Center.
Teri Guerrisi, director of the "Live at Rose Lehrman" series, can't get enough of this ensemble, which she rates as among the top five dance companies HACC has presented on its dance-heavy series.
The company plans a different program than the one it danced the last time it was here three years ago.
Two Pennsylvania-born dancers are in the ensemble that will dance at HACC.
Jamie Rae Walker trained at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and often returns to the area to dance in CPYB's alumni shows. A star career has led her to the Miami City Ballet and the original cast of Broadway's "Movin' Out." In 2003, she became a part of Taylor 2, the six-person company that often serves as a training ground for the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Five years later, she became a member of the parent company.
Sean Mahoney is from Bensalem and started dancing in his early teens. He said allergies and asthma prevented him from participating in sports. His parents encouraged him, against his better judgment, to find a different outlet in dance lessons. In those days before "Billy Elliot," his construction worker father enrolled in an adult ballet class to make Sean feel more comfortable.
Mahoney began to enjoy the activity and also his privileged role as one of the few males in class. He loved the social aspect of it, and his burgeoning talent led to a scholarship at Princeton Ballet School. After a stint with Taylor 2 and other ensembles, he joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company nearly seven years ago.
During a break from rehearsal, Mahoney talked to me about Taylor's willingness to adapt his choreography to complement the individual dancer. A dance created 40 years ago is rechoreographed to suit today's company.
Taylor is focused on the dancer, not the dance. This is different from the orthodoxy of some other iconic choreographers, such as Balanchine, whose original dances are rigidly adhered to, no matter what.
In addition to the physical training, rehearsing and other rigorous preparation leading up to a performance, the dancers have to learn to embody the characters they are dancing and then switch to a different character in the next dance. This meticulously rehearsed artwork is what makes watching dance compelling and also what makes Mahoney so grateful to work with Paul Taylor.
Mahoney will participate in each of the dances Wednesday. The first, "Roses," is a flowing, tender, graceful piece based on music by Wagner, Mahoney said. There's a beautiful duet requiring loving attention to his partner, contrasting horrifically with his character in the next dance, called "Three Dubious Memories," a 2010 work that is centered around three interpretations of a violent assault, he said. Mahoney plays the part of "The Man in Blue," a rapist.
The curtain comes down, there's a quick change of clothes, and back he comes as a member of an ensemble in a tribute to the music of Bach and the language of modern dance called "Brandenburg." Mahoney describes it as "pure movement," much of it in unison with the other male dancers.
How does Mahoney manage to change character so quickly and completely while staying focused on the physical demands of dance?
It's a case of "shutting down and starting all over again," he said. A "sense of accomplishment" comes from being so lucky to get paid for something he has trained his whole life to do, he said.
IF YOU GO:
Paul Taylor Dance Company 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Rose Lehrman Arts Center, Harrisburg Area Community College, 1 HACC Drive, Harrisburg. Tickets: $35, $33 seniors, students, $15. Info: 717-231-7673 or liveatroselehrman.org.
Ellen Hughes writes about fine arts, classical music and performances in the area. Email her at arts.ellenhughes@gmail.com.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.