Interludes

VIEWPOINTS – A new crop of dancers invigorate PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY’s fall season at the David H. Koch Theater

• By drediman
• November 11, 2022
• No Comments

Paul Taylor Dance Company has long been one of New York’s most iconic dance companies, not only because of Taylor’s idiosyncratic brand of movement, but also because of the caliber of its dancers. The epitome of the modern dance company, Taylor dancers are typified with their selfless onstage demeanor and incomparable athletic prowess. The perfect conduits for dance, they place the ensemble effort above all else, including any individual effort. The company’s fall season at the David H. Koch Theater has been branded “Taylor: A New Era”, and aptly so. With the beloved previous generation of Taylor dancers fading into memory, the company’s current dancers have had to step into some big shoes. Happily, the ongoing performances at Lincoln Center find the new crop of dancers fully finding their groove and distinctive identity as an ensemble after a few years of establishing their footing.

The first program I attended featured staples like Taylor’s Company B and Syzygy alongside the premiere of resident choreographer (and former New York City Ballet principal) Lauren Lovette’s Solitaire. The dancers looked invigorating in both the nostalgic Company B and the playfully quirky Syzygy. Although at times I felt that these pieces looked a tad lost on the vast Koch stage, there was a clear sense that the dancers were thrillingly coming to their own, claiming these classics as if it were made on them. Unfortunately, despite lavish production values, Solitaire paled in comparison to the aforementioned dances. Set to the emotive music of Ernest Bloch, the new piece loosely depicts a dancer who, with the support and companionship of his fellow dancers, is able to overcomes despair to arrive at a place of peace and fulfillment. Lovette, who continues to find her voice as a choreographer, has created a work that lacks a clear point of view, often times confusing business with style. Nevertheless, the dancers looked fantastic and game, particularly dynamic leading man Alex Clayton.

On my return visit to the Koch, the company danced another well-balanced program comprised of two classics – Taylor’s Arden Court and Kurt Jooss’s The Green Table – that sandwiched Orchestra of St. Luke’s lovely rendition of an atmospheric orchestral suite from Philip Glass’s film score for The Hours (the well regarded music ensemble is the company’s resident orchestra). Arden Court continued to showcase the company’s newfound confidence, and they danced not only with impeccable musicality and robust athleticism, but also with compelling beauty. Set to the music of William Boyce, the work is vintage Taylor through and through, and altogether a pure pleasure to behold. Despite its melodramatic and parodic flourishes, the anti-war dance theater classic The Green Table still packs a punch, especially with the troubles in the Ukraine continuing to rage on. In eight pointed scenes accompanied by F.A. Cohen’s piano score, the one act ballet chronicles the devastating toll that war invariably has on humanity. Throughout, the inherently expressive nature of the Taylor dancers was an ideal fit for Jooss’s piece (a particular standout was Shawn Lesniak, who made for an imposing Death).

RECOMMENDED

PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY
Dance
David H. Koch Theater
Approximately 2 hours (with two intermissions)
Through November 13