Considered by many to be the greatest living choreographer, Paul Taylor was born July 29, 1930 in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. His childhood was characterized by troubled relationships, feelings of isolation and sexual ambiguity. With his mother working hard to survive, Taylor often spent a lot of time alone, often moving houses and changing schools frequently. His sense of isolation and despair persisted into adulthood, and can be seen as an underlying theme in his works. At the late age of 20, he came to dance while at Syracuse University on a painting and swimming scholarships. Although he had little training or experience, Taylor’s athleticism as a freestyle swimmer made him powerfully built and equipped him with an extreme range of motion in his shoulders and back. Upon winning a work scholarship to the American Dance Festival in 1952, he quickly caught the attention of such dance icons as Martha Graham, José Limón, and Doris Humphrey. Taylor’s commanding presence, instinctive talent, and unique way of moving earned him an invitation to join Martha Graham’s company, where he began his professional career. …show more content…
During his time with the Martha Graham Dance Company, he also danced for a number of other great contemporary choreographers, including Merce Cunningham, Charles Weidman, and George Balanchine. Taylor studied modern dance with Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, and José Limón and ballet with Antony Tudor and Margaret Craske. As a member of Graham’s company, he created such significant roles as Aegisthus in Clytemnestra (1958), Hercules in Alcestis (1960), and Theseus in Phaedra (1962). Taylor also danced a solo created especially for him by George Balanchine in Episodes (1959), a work choreographed by Balanchine and Graham to music by Anton