Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – At a point of transition, PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY looks both backwards and forwards for guidance

• By drediman
• June 21, 2022
• No Comments

This past weekend at The Joyce Theater in Chelsea, I had the chance to take in a performance by Paul Taylor Dance Company. Intelligently curated by artistic director Michael Novak, the weeklong run (which was comprised of three discrete programs) was a welcome opportunity for dance fans to (re-)acquaint themselves with some of Taylor’s fascinating but rarely-performed early pieces, as well as see the company engage in new works and beloved classics.

The bill I attended (Program B) began by looking backwards to two short lost gems from Taylor’s developmental days. The abstract “Tracer” from 1962 is a fascinating look into the origins of the Taylor aesthetic. The decidedly experimental “Events II” from 1957 (the five-minute dance was reconstructed from a larger work entitled “7 New Dances”), on the other hand, was pure mood and atmosphere. Together, they point the way forward to iconic – and populist – works like “Aureole”, which joyously closed the evening.

The evening’s new work was “A Call for Softer Landings” choreographed by Peter Chu. The piece – which enjoyed its New York premiere last week – evidenced a company in transition. Indeed, it seems as if since the passing of the company’s legendary namesake, Novak and his young dancers have been in search of the most fruitful way to carry Taylor’s legacy forward. Unfortunately, “Softer Landings”, with its generic contemporary dance flourishes, seemed more second tier Hubbard Street Dance than it did distinctively Paul Taylor.

But perhaps best of all was Taylor’s hieroglyphic “Profiles” from 1979 – a striking blend of rigor and uncompromising vision. Maybe looking to the past is the best way for the company to move forward into the future?

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PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY
Dance
The Joyce Theater
1 hour, 45 minutes (with one intermission)
Closed