Photo: Organisers.
Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera and the Polish National Ballet are delighted to invite everyone interested to another event organised as part of the 7th Days of Dance. On Wednesday, 21 October (Teatr Wielki, Moniuszko Auditorium, 7 pm), New York-based contemporary dance company of the legendary American choreographer Paul Taylor will perform in Poland for the first time in their history (following the appearance of Paul Taylor Dance Company 2 at the 9th Dance Theatre Festival in Lublin in 2006), presenting three among Taylor’s acclaimed choreographies: Mercuric Tidings to the music of Schubert, Piazzola Caldera to the music of Astor Piazzola and Jerzy Petersburski, and Esplanade to the music of Bach.
Paul Taylor Dance Company is one of the most famous and recognizable companies of its kind in the world. Founded on 30 May 1954 by dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor, the company begin its activity with Taylor?s presentation of his original choreography together and five other dancers. The modest event heralded a period of over fifty years of unparalleled creativity. In the following decades, Taylor became a cultural icon and one of the biggest names in the history of American contemporary dance. His company has circled the globe several times, presenting an ever-expanding repertoire in theatres, sports and entertainment arenas, university campuses, rural areas and other places previously unfamiliar with contemporary dance. The company has performed in more than 520 cities in 62 countries, representing the USA at festivals in over 40 countries and touring the globe under the auspices of the US Department of State. In 1997, the company toured India as part of the 50th anniversary of its independence. Their Chile tour (1999) was deemed as the best international dance event by the local critics. 2001 saw the company tour China, and 2003 took them to the UK. In 2007, the company returned to China for its fourth tour of the country.
Although the Paul Taylor Dance Company continues to present its works abroad, it also spends half of each of its artistic season touring American venues. The 2004/05 season was its 50th anniversary and attracted a joint audience of over 25,000. Celebrating the anniversary, the Taylor Foundation presented his works in each of the 50 US states. The tour cemented the company?s position as the precursor of American contemporary dance. Its first appearance on television (1978), presented as part of the Dance in America cycle, initiated a string of more than a dozen meetings with the company broadcast by the PBS (including Speaking in Tongues and the Wrecker?s Ball); in 1999, the PBS American Masters cycle featured a documentary on Taylor and his company titled ?Dancemaker?, and in 2013, the PBS aired a documentary ?Paul Taylor Dance Company in Paris?. Both films were released as DVDs.
MERCURIC TIDINGS / PIAZZOLA CALDERA / ESPLANADE
Ballet evening in three parts (programme may be subject to change)
Mercuric Tidings
Choreography: Paul Taylor
Music: Franz Schubert
Costumes: Santo Loquasto
Lighting design: Jennifer Tipton
Piazzola Caldera
Choreography: Paul Taylor
Music: Astor Piazzolla & Jerzy Peterburshsky
Set and Costumes: Santo Loquasto
Lighting design: Jennifer Tipton
Esplanade
Choreography: Paul Taylor
Music: Johann Sebastian Bach
Costumes: John Rawlings
Lighting design: Jennifer Tipton
More information available at: www.teatrwielki.pl/en/activity/artistic-projects/7th-days-of-dance/
