Thursday March 29, 2012 – Nearing the end of their exciting seaon at Lincoln Center, the Paul Taylor Dance Company tonight presented one of the choreographer’s finest recent creations, BELOVED RENEGADE. In Tom Caravaglia’s photo above, dancers Michael Trusnovec and Laura Halzack.
BELOVED RENEGADE premiered in 2008 and was hailed not only as an outstanding example of Taylor’s choreographic genius but also as a perfect vehicle for one of the greatest dancers of our day, Michael Trusnovec. Danced to Francis Poulenc’s GLORIA and drawing inspiration from the poetry of Walt Whitman, this large-ensemble work is both sensuous and spiritual. Mr. Trusnovec gave a luminous performance which elicited a particularly warm response form the audience. The dancer’s slender, all-muscle form moved through this poetic dreamworld with consummate power and grace.
With Michael Trusnovec at the work’s epicenter, the other dancers made vivid impressions: notably Laura Halzack, Amy Young, Parisa Khobdeh and Robert Kleinendorst all of whom have been at their finest during this wonderfully pleasing Taylor season.
Michael Trusnovec and Amy Young opened the evening in a performance of AUREOLE which – in its fiftieth year – still looks fresh and vital. Francisco Graciano, Michelle Fleet and Heather McGinley danced with great verve; Michael Trusnovec’s solo was a page of visual poetry and the lovely tenderness of his duet with Amy Young gave AUREOLE its gentle soul.
The evening in fact was something of a Michael Trusnovec festival as he finished off the programme in the exciting Bach/Stokowski PROMETHEAN FIRE. Parisa Khobdeh danced radiantly here, and indeed the entire Company seemed inspired tonight. The appearance of Paul Taylor at the end caused much joy in the House as the audience swept to their feet to acclaim both the dancers and the dancemaker.
Curtain call. Click on the image to enlarge.
Oberon's Glade 