Paul Taylor - Twyla Tharp Aspen Santa Fe Ballet July 4, 2008
Paul Taylor started off with a 60's motif which I really liked. The curtain opened to concert chatter after which the dancers, dressed in 60's costume, began dancing 60's dancing to 60's music by the Mamas and Papas, Lennon/McCartney, etc. A short polyster miniskirt, paisley jeans, buckskin fringed cowboy boots and low riser pants were some of the costumes. At one point three male dancers shared a joint. Very nice ensemble dancing of 60's stuff. Who knew?
The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet showed what modern dance can look like if you take off the ballet slippers. The girls still danced ballet like with high over the head kicks, delicate and graceful flowing movements with their arms and hands. The men wore white pants with a vest over bare chests while the woman had 2 piece white bra and boy short outfits and a flowing top over the shoulders. The Shaker hymnss got a little annoying after a while but the dancing was top notch.
Three epitaphs by Paul Taylor featured some very old jazz music and the dancers, 4 wpman and a guy, dressed head to toe in black costumes even covering their faces. The costumes had round mirrors which reflected the blue spotlight back at the audience. I'm not sure what this was about but for the curtain calls the dancers took their masks off. It was nice to see pretty faces with long blonde hair in the rubber looking suits. I wished they danced like that instead of bein all covered up.
The Sinatra Suite was a total surprise for an ADF performance. A couple in tux and black gown did traditional ballroom dancing to the music of Frank Sinatra. It was very mellow and very nice but not sure about the significance at a modern dance festival.
The last number featured the entire Paul Taylor ensemble, 16 dancers in all. Wearing black leotards with stripes they danced to JS Bach. It was during this dance that the rumbles of the storm outside could be heard. The thunder distracted enough that I lost concentration at times in the dance performance which was a shame.
We ran in the rain from Page Auditorium to our car and drove home in a torrential thunderstorm. Lightning, driving rain and local street flooding, even on the Interstate.
Taylor Tharp review July 2008 The Independent
