page_title: Paul Taylor Dance Company
section_title: History
hierarchical_section_title: Paul Taylor Dance Company / History
caption_attribution_description: English: The Paul Taylor Dance Company performing Taylor's Esplanade, which was reconstructed by Ruth Andrian and was performed by Florida State University as part of the American Masterpieces: Dance -- College Component.
context_page_description: Paul Taylor Dance Company, is a contemporary dance company, formed by dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor. The modern dance company is based in New York, New York and was founded in 1954.
  Taylor originally performed in the companies of Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, and George Balanchine, and founded his own in 1954. Dancers and choreographers who have emerged from his company include Twyla Tharp, David Parsons, Laura Dean, Dan Wagoner, Elizabeth Keen, Christopher Gillis, Senta Driver, Amy Marshall, and Lila York.
  Michael Novak was appointed artistic director designate by Taylor in the summer of 2018, and took over as artistic director in September 2018 after Taylor died.
context_section_description: The Paul Taylor Dance Company was founded in 1954. Taylor 2 Dance Company was created in 1993. One of the early touring companies of American modern dance, the Company has performed in more than 500 cities in 62 countries, with half of each performance season touring in American cities. They first performed in Europe in 1960 and toured South America under several programs.
  Twyla Tharp joined Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1963 and two years later formed her own company. Carolyn Adams joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1965, becoming the company’s first African American dancer. During Adams seventeen year career with the company, she starred in several major productions including Orbs in 1966, Big Bertha in 1971; Aureole and Esplanade in 1975; and Le Sacre du Printemps in 1980. Christopher Gillis joined in 1976. He was a member until his death in 1993. Bettie de Jong joined the Taylor Company in 1962. Noted for her strong stage presence and long line, she was Paul Taylor's favorite dancing partner and, as Rehearsal Director, was his right hand for the past half-century. She finished her active dancing career in 1985.
  The Taylor School has taught Taylor's style to professional-level dancers since 1984.
  In 2005, it was among 406 New York City arts and social service institutions to receive part of a $20 million grant from the Carnegie Corporation, which was made possible through a donation by New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg.
  In 2015, Taylor began a new program, called Paul Taylor American Modern Dance, in which works of modern dance by choreographers other than Taylor are included in the company's annual season at the Koch Theater.
caption: Paul Taylor Dance Company performing Taylor's Esplanade
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