Tag: Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor @ The Joyce ~ 2025

Above: Shawn Lesniak in Paul Taylor’s Runes; photo by Steven Pisano

~ Author: Oberon

Sunday June 22nd, 2025 matinee – Three works were on the bill at The Joyce this afternoon, as the Paul Taylor Dance Company concluded their season at the iconic venue. The matinee marked the farewell Taylor performance of Shawn Lesniak, who joined the Company in 2019.

Paul Taylor’s opus 64 – Polaris – is set to a commissioned score by Donald York; it premiered in 1976. This work is unique in that it presents the same choreography twice, in different musical settings and with different dancers performing in and around a metallic cube; Jennifer Taylor’s lighting design, always so impactful, is also altered in the repeat.

In the cast of the first setting of the work were Gabrielle Barnes, Emmy Wildermuth, Payton Primer, John Harnage, and Jake Vincent. Of the women, Mlles. Barnes and Primer were new to me. Ms. Wildermuth had dazzled me in 2024, dancing Jody Sperling’s Clair de Lune, inspired by Loïe Fuller; today, in Polaris, her solo was vividly danced. John Harnage and Jake Vincent looked like young gods, and they danced handsomely.

Donald York’s score develops a lilting theme, the choreography is stylized as the dancers move about the space creating shapes and striking poses; one dancer replaces another as if by magic. The music is increasingly cinematic, the dancing full of wit, irony, athleticism, and grace. Ms. Primer and Mr. Harnage have an intriguing duet, and then Ms. Barnes made a gorgeous impression in a long solo passage where she moved about the space like a goddess.

One by one, the dancers of the first setting depart, their spots being taken over by Lisa Borres Casey, Jada Pearman, Jessica Ferretti, Lee Duveneck, and Alex Clayton. The music here felt more dramatic…more theatrical; at times, it became suspenseful, even creepy. The lighting seemed to take on a unique glow, with Jada Pearman charming us in her solo. Ms. Borres Casey and Mr. Clayton matched up to fine effect in their duet, and Jessica Ferretti was stunning and sublime in the long solo. Lee Duveneck towered over his colleagues, always a compelling advocate of the Taylor style. The finale of the ‘second’ score was especially evocative.

Following the interval, we saw Tablet (Taylor’s opus 24), set to a commissioned score by David Hollister, premiered in 1960. This playful, nine-minute duet was once danced by the choreographer and Akiko Kanda (photo below by Helga Gilbert):

Today, Tablet was danced by Kristin Draucker and Devon Louis, below in a Steven Pisano photo:

Tablet’s score is quirky, the atmosphere that of a playful courting duet. The dancers were ideally paired, their shapes and port de bras having a natural flow. Each has a solo passage, but it is in their entwined partnering that the relationship – and the mutual trust between the two – is most palpable. During the interval, former Taylor star Richard Chen-See stopped by to chat; I understand that Richard was very much involved in getting Tablet back into the repertoire, and that’s surely why it felt so perfect. Ms. Draucker and Mr. Louis were the ideal choices for this revival. I hope Tablet will continue to be danced for us in seasons to come.

Cloven Kingdom has long been one of my favorites in the Taylor repertoire; it was the choreographer’s opus 63. With music by Arcangelo Corelli, Henry Cowell, and Malloy Miller, the work premiered in 1976. I first saw it at Jacob’s Pillow in 1982, and it was love at first sight…and first hearing. The music casts a spell: the elegance of Baroque is mixed with sexy percussive rhythms and sounds from an exotic jungle to captivating effect. Having seen it numerous times since that Pillow showing, the piece today was as marvelous as ever.

“Man is a social animal…” as the Spinoza quote tells us. And what a delightful bunch of humans danced for us this afternoon: Jessica Ferretti, Gabrielle Barnes, Emmy Wildermuth, Elizabeth Chapo, Kristin Draucker, Lisa Borres Casey, Jada Pearman, and Payton Primer swept about the stage in their swirling gowns, leapt swiftly along diagonals, and found new ways of walking (and cart-wheeling) that gave their moves added vibrancy. Their mirrored head-gear cast shards of light into the Hall.

The male quartet – a Taylor classic if ever there was one – was dazzlingly done by Devon Louis, John Harnage, Austin Kelly, and Mr. Lesniak. It seemed to me that, in the course of this number – which ends with a stunningly-lit statue-pose – and indeed on into the ballet’s finale, the dancers were subtly messaging their affection and admiration to their retiring colleague as they passed him in the course of their dancing.

The matinee ended with a rousing ovation from the packed house; cries of “Shawnie! Shawnie!” rang out, and Mr. Lesniak then took a solo bow, to wild applause. Flowers were pelted onto the stage as his colleagues surrounded him in a massive love-in. Bravo!! Bravissimo!!!

~ Oberon

June 22, 2025
Paul Taylor ~ Early Works @ The Joyce: Images

Above: Kristin Draucker in Paul Taylor’s Images and Reflections

Some images from Paul Taylor Dance Company‘s June 2022 season at The Joyce; the photos are by Ron Thiele. Read about the Company’s opening night performance here.

Lisa Borres in Paul Taylor’s FIBERS

John Harnage in Paul Taylor’s Images and Reflections

From Michelle Manzanales’ HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS

Lisa Borres and Devon Louis in Paul Taylor’s FIBERS

Eran Bugge, Madelyn Ho, Alex Clayton, and John Harnage in Paul Taylor’s PROFILES

Shawn Lesniak and the Company in Michelle Manzanales’ HOPE IS THE THING WITH FEATHERS

Devon Louis and Maria Ambrose in Paul Taylor’s AUREOLE

Madelyn Ho, John Harnage, and Eran Bugge in Paul Taylor’s PROFILES

All photos by Ron Thiele, courtesy of the Paul Taylor Dance Company

June 16, 2022
Paul Taylor Has Passed Away

Above: dancer Amy Young rehearsing with Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor, one of the greatest choreographers of all time, has passed away at the age of 88. His catalog of danceworks includes several masterpieces, and his wide-ranging musical choices leave us with an eclectic repertoire ranging from PDQ Bach to Charles Ives, from Edgard Varèse to The Mamas & Papas.

I was a confirmed lover of classical ballet when my first view of Paul Taylor’s choreography came in 1981 with ABT performing AIRS:

In the Summer of 1982, the Paul Taylor Company were at Jacob’s Pillow, and that was my first experience of seeing a contemporary dance troupe. I fell in love with CLOVEN KINGDOM, and with several of the dancers:

In the years that followed, we trekked to see Taylor at the Pillow – sometimes 3 or 4 times per Summer. Once I’d moved to New York City, the annual Taylor season became an essential part of life. In recent seasons, the Company have added works by other choreographers to their repertory whilst keeping the Taylor classics fresh and vibrant.

As the years have passed by, several Taylor dancers have become choreographers in their own right; others have become teachers, or stagers of the Taylor rep. This ever-expanding Taylor family will keep the choreographer’s legacy alive.

Above: dancers Annmaria Mazzini and Michael Trusnovec with Paul Taylor in rehearsal.

~ Oberon

August 29, 2018
Paul Taylor @ Lincoln Center 2016 – Part II

Above, one of the best of the best: Robert Kleinendorst of PTAMD

Tuesday March 29th, 2016 – This evening’s performance by Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance in the final week of their Lincoln Center season opened with a classic Taylor ‘white’ ballet, Equinox, set to music of Johannes Brahms which was performed (lovingly) live by a string quintet.

Two principal couples – Laura Halzack with Robert Kleinendorst and Paris Khobdeh with Michael Apuzzo – perform some of Paul Taylor’s most inventive and pleasing partnering passages with a feeling of lyrical athleticism. A long solo by Ms. Halzack was enchanting to behold. A quartet of dancers – too stellar to be deemed “supporting” – moved with captivating urgency and grace: Michelle Fleet, Eran Bugge, Sean Mahoney, and James Samson. The white costumes evoke Summer, but the Brahms themes hint at the approach of Autumn. Heartfelt dancing and playing from everyone involved.

The Weight of Smoke (a new Doug Elkins work) was a hot mess. The choreography is loaded with gimmicks and clichés while the fusion of Baroque (here, Handel) with contemporary club beats and noisy effects has been done before and has lost its cleverness. The dancers may have enjoyed the opportunity to cut loose, not having to think too much about technique or precision, but to me (and my choreographer-companion) the work seemed endlessly aimless and mildly embarrassing. Laced with gender-bending elements, with two women in a sustained kiss, and sashaying gay-boy stereotypes, the work ambled on with lots of energy being expended on retro-provocations. In the end, I was thinking: “You have sixteen of the best dancers on the planet to work with, and this is what you came up with?”

The evening ended on the highest of possible high notes with Paul Taylor’s Promethean Fire; the same sixteen dancers who slogged their way thru the tedious Elkins now appeared in Santo Loquasto’s incredible black costumes and treated us to a feast of impeccable dancing in this darkly dazzling ballet.

Paul Taylor’s choreography here gives Mr B a run for his money in terms of musicality and structure…and it looks gorgeous on Mr. B’s own stage. The Leopold Stokowski orchestrations of music by J. S. Bach seem jarring at first but Mr. Taylor was right to choose them as they mesh well with the opulent energy of the dancing.

The live music (Orchestra of Saint Luke’s under Donald York’s baton) was a wonderful enhancement to the onstage splendour; it’s a great piece for zeroing in on individual dancers as they move with such assurance and beauty of spirit thru choreography that must be a sheer delight to dance.

The central passage of Promethean Fire is a pas de deux which was danced tonight by Parisa Khobdeh and Michael Trusnovec (above). Their physical allure and their sense of the importance of the steps and port de bras made this such a richly rewarding experience, both visually and spiritually.

Production photo © 2015 Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance

March 30, 2016
Paul Taylor @ Lincoln Center 2016 – Part II

Above, one of the best of the best: Robert Kleinendorst of PTAMD

Tuesday March 29th, 2016 – This evening’s performance by Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance in the final week of their Lincoln Center season opened with a classic Taylor ‘white’ ballet, Equinox, set to music of Johannes Brahms which was performed (lovingly) live by a string quintet.

Two principal couples – Laura Halzack with Robert Kleinendorst and Paris Khobdeh with Michael Apuzzo – perform some of Paul Taylor’s most inventive and pleasing partnering passages with a feeling of lyrical athleticism. A long solo by Ms. Halzack was enchanting to behold. A quartet of dancers – too stellar to be deemed “supporting” – moved with captivating urgency and grace: Michelle Fleet, Eran Bugge, Sean Mahoney, and James Samson. The white costumes evoke Summer, but the Brahms themes hint at the approach of Autumn. Heartfelt dancing and playing from everyone involved.

The Weight of Smoke (a new Doug Elkins work) was a hot mess. The choreography is loaded with gimmicks and clichés while the fusion of Baroque (here, Handel) with contemporary club beats and noisy effects has been done before and has lost its cleverness. The dancers may have enjoyed the opportunity to cut loose, not having to think too much about technique or precision, but to me (and my choreographer-companion) the work seemed endlessly aimless and mildly embarrassing. Laced with gender-bending elements, with two women in a sustained kiss, and sashaying gay-boy stereotypes, the work ambled on with lots of energy being expended on retro-provocations. In the end, I was thinking: “You have sixteen of the best dancers on the planet to work with, and this is what you came up with?”

The evening ended on the highest of possible high notes with Paul Taylor’s Promethean Fire; the same sixteen dancers who slogged their way thru the tedious Elkins now appeared in Santo Loquasto’s incredible black costumes and treated us to a feast of impeccable dancing in this darkly dazzling ballet.

Paul Taylor’s choreography here gives Mr B a run for his money in terms of musicality and structure…and it looks gorgeous on Mr. B’s own stage. The Leopold Stokowski orchestrations of music by J. S. Bach seem jarring at first but Mr. Taylor was right to choose them as they mesh well with the opulent energy of the dancing.

The live music (Orchestra of Saint Luke’s under Donald York’s baton) was a wonderful enhancement to the onstage splendour; it’s a great piece for zeroing in on individual dancers as they move with such assurance and beauty of spirit thru choreography that must be a sheer delight to dance.

The central passage of Promethean Fire is a pas de deux which was danced tonight by Parisa Khobdeh and Michael Trusnovec (above). Their physical allure and their sense of the importance of the steps and port de bras made this such a richly rewarding experience, both visually and spiritually.

Production photo © 2015 Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance

March 29, 2016
Paul Taylor @ Lincoln Center 2016

Wednesday March 23rd, 2016 – “Taylor Does Graham” was my alternate headline for this article. Martha Graham’s Diversion of Angels has triumphantly entered the repertory of Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance Company. I’ve always loved seeing the Graham dancers in this work, and now I also love seeing the Taylors: between these two companies, some of the greatest movers and shapers of our day are to be found. In the photo at top: Michael Trusnovec.

Graham paragons Blakeley White-McGuire and Tadej Brdnik set Diversion on the Taylor company. The casting of the work’s three main couples seemed spot-on, with the elegant, patrician Laura Halzack in White paired with Michael Trusnovec; restless, passionate Parisa Khobdeh (in Red) dancing with Sean Mahoney; and the sun-filled joy of Eran Bugge’s Woman in Yellow handsomely partnered by Michael Novak. A women’s quartet consisting of Michelle Fleet, Jamie Rae Walker, Heather McGinley, and Christina Lynch Markham comprised a marvelously high-end “supporting” cast, and George Smallwood’s strong performance as the odd-man-in all made for a great deal of spacious, eye-catching dance.

Several passages linger in the memory: the long frozen, stylized pose sustained by Ms. Halczak and Mr. Trusnovec early in the piece, and the lovely floated quality of Laura’s series of slow turns; Ms. Khobdeh’s agitated solo amidst the four women, her great sense of urgency as she rushes across the stage on some unknown quest, and Mr. Mahoney’s wonderful “catch” of her as she rushed to him; Ms. Bugge, who captivated me all evening, has a most congenial role; she brought Springtime freshness to her solo passages, and to her lyrically animated duet with Mr. Novak.

A sustained deep note in the Norman Dello Joio score signals the “White” pas de deux; it almost goes without saying that the Halzack/Trusnovec duo were truly inspired and inspiring here.

Paul Taylor’s Three Dubious Memories is a gem of a ballet. When I first saw it a couple of years ago, it was mainly the witty elements that persuaded me of its stage-worthiness. Tonight somehow it seemed much deeper and more of a story-telling ritual than a mere series of relationship-vignettes.

In Three Dubious Memories, an incident from the evolving story of a romantic triangle is remembered differently by each of the three people involved. The competition between two men (Robert Kleinendorst and Sean Mahoney) for the affections of Eran Bugge brings the men to blows. But then, in a volte-face, the men are seen as a cozy pair and Ms. Bugge as the interloper. We’ll never know the real story, but Mr. Taylor has left us to ponder the way in which we each remember things.

In addition to brilliant dancing and acting from the principal trio, Three Dubious Memories provides an intriguing role for James Samson: a silent narrator, a sort of master-of-ceremonies. James summons up each telling of the tale by the three protagonists; he also leads an ensemble of ‘choristers’ in stylized rituals. James did a beautiful job in this role which calls for both expressiveness and athleticism. In one memorable moment, Heather McGinley perches on James’s shoulders like a looming icon. The ballet was beautifully lit by Jennifer Tipton.

In the evening’s concluding work, Spindrift, dates from 1993 and is set to Arnold Schoenberg’s String Quartet Concerto (after Handel), played live by the Orchestra of St Luke’s. To the sound of wind and waves, Michael Trusnovec emerges from the midst of a communal group moving in stylized slowness. Michael’s character displays the shifting nature of a romantic spirit with an affinity for the natural world; he’s an outsider, cast upon a mystic shore among a rather suspicious tribe.

Certain movement motifs recall Nijinsky’s Faun, and in fact the costuming also makes us think of the Debussy ballet. The Handel/Schoenberg music seems at once old and new as Mr. Trusnovec pursues Mr. Halzack and is occasionally distracted by the quirky presence of Ms. Bugge.

In the ballet’s second movement, an adagio solo for Mr. Trusnovec is the heart of Spindrift; in subtle twists of his torso, the power and beauty of this magnificent dancer’s physique given full rein, as is his indelible artistry: so compelling to behold. The movement becomes livelier and more off-kilter for a spell, then slows and – as Mr. Trusnovec melts into a reverential kneeling back-bend, the ballet seems about to end. But there’s another movement, laced with solos and duets for all the participants.

As is all the great Taylor works, there are moments of seeming simplicity that make an unexpected impact; one such in Spindrift was a passage where four woman crossed on a diagonal, walking slowly. Other impressive passages were a duet for Ms. Bugge and Mr. Trusnovec and another one in which Michael was paired with Robert Kleinendost; Robert was on peak form all evening.

In fact, the entire Taylor company’s looking pretty extraordinary these days. I was hoping to see more of Michelle Fleet (she only danced in the opening work, with Ms. Bugge replacing her in Spindrift); Francisco Graciano and Michael Apuzzo also appeared all-too-briefly, yet – as always – they each made their mark. Madelyn Ho, the newest dancer on the roster, appeared in the ensemble in Spindrift.

I had great seats (thank you, Lisa Labrado!) and was delighted to spend the evening with my ballet-loving friend Susan, who I rarely see these days. And it’s always so nice to run into Janet Eilber, Blakeley White-McGuire, Take Ueyama and his wife Ana, and Richard Chen-See.

Onward now to more Taylor…and then, in April, Graham!

March 23, 2016
Paul Taylor – Creative Domain

Above: Paul Taylor takes a bow with dancers Amy Young and Eran Bugge after a 2011 performance of CLOVEN KINGDOM; photo by Kokyat

Paul Taylor – Creative Domain, a documentary film about the great American choreographer, will open at Film Society of Lincoln Center on September 11th, 2015, with showings thru September 17th. Thereafter, the film – which centers on the creation of Taylor’s 133rd dancework, Three Dubious Memories (2010) – will be seen in cities across the USA.

The Lincoln Center showtimes may be viewed here.

August 28, 2015
Paul Taylor @ Lincoln Center 2015 #4

Above: Michelle Fleet in Paul Taylor’s PIAZZOLLA CALDERA; photo by the late Tom Caravaglia

Tuesday March 24th, 2015 – The tonight’s programme, my final opportunity to see the Paul Taylor Dance Company during their current Lincoln Center stint, featured two works I’d seen earlier in the season: SUNSET and EVENTIDE, plus the darkly alluring PIAZZOLLA CALDERA.

SUNSET, with its off-duty soldiers and a quartet of white-clad girls, is set to music by Edward Elgar with a nostalgic feeling and to a central section where only the sounds of loons crying is heard. There are playful passages – Aileen Roehl gets tossed daringly from man to man – but the overall atmosphere is pensive, with fleeting possibilities of romance. The men march off to duty, leaving the girls downcast. In a high-lighted role, Eran Bugge was superb; she is left at the end clutching a red beret which one of the soldiers has dropped.

Above, from EVENTIDE: James Samson, Laura Halzack, Francisco Graciano, and Heather McGinley in a Paul B Goode photo.

I really fell under the spell of EVENTIDE during this Taylor season. This romantic work, with its melodious Vaughan Williams score, was poetically danced tonight. A series of duets presents us with the opportunity to savor the expressive qualities of ten of the Company’s distinctive artists while in ensemble passages the simple act of walking takes on a poignant resonance.

Above: the Taylor men in PIAZZOLLA CALDERA; photo by Paul B Goode

PIAZZOLLA CALDERA premiered in 1997, drawing Paul Taylor into the world of the tango. The tango grew out of many musical influences – Spanish, Italian, Indian, African and Jewish – and reached a height of artistic expression in the music of Astor Piazzolla. For his ballet, Paul Taylor avoided using any actual tango steps but was able magically to distill the essence of this exotic dance form. In a smoke-filled, dimly lit and disreputable bar, working-class men and women meet to dance and imbibe in a steamy after-hours atmosphere. They pose, provoke, titillate, and deny each other in a series of sexually fraught duets and trios.

Parisa Khobdeh showed a vivid mixture of tension and allure in a commanding performance; she drifted in and out of a pas de trois with Eran Bugge and Robert Kleinendorst, later seizing the stage for herself. In a sexy/drunken duet, Francisco Graciano and Michael Apuzzo seemed alternately on the verge of kissing or knifing each other, while the sizzling pairing of Michelle Fleet and Michael Trusnovec gave fresh meaning to the word “electrifying”. PIAZZOLLA CALDERA was the perfect finale for an evening of great dance, and the crowd went wild at the end of the show.

March 24, 2015
Paul Taylor @ Lincoln Center 2015 #3

Above: Michael Trusnovec and ensemble in Paul Taylor’s Brandenburgs; photo by Paul B Goode

Saturday evening March 21st, 2015 – This evening, the programme at Paul Taylor Dance Company’s Lincoln Center season featured Taylor’s latest creation, Death and The Damsel, book-ended by two of his celebrated works from the 1980s: Sunset and Brandenburgs.

The simple but evocative Alex Katz set design for Sunset shows a flat aquamarine sky with suggestions of tree limbs in black. Along one side of the stage is an iron fence, which might also be a ballet barre. A group of soldiers in khakis and red berets are lounging and casually dancing. We know not what country they serve; they are simply universal soldiers.

Above: Robert Kleinendorst and Michael Trusnovec in Sunset; photo by Paul B Goode

Unlike Jerome Robbins’ Fancy Free, to which it is sometimes compared, Sunset is mostly devoid of humor or playfulness. Perhaps Taylor’s soldiers are part of an occupying force. When three white-clad girls appear, there are flirtations, tensions, and hopes. But Sunset retains throughout an under-current of sadness, fed by the wistful lyricism of the Edward Elgar score.

Above: Aileen Roehl and the ensemble in Sunset; photo by Paul B Goode

Passing playfulness – with four lovely ladies Aileen Roehl, Michelle Fleet, Parisa Khobdeh, and Eran Bugge – gives way to the sounds of birdcalls as dusk approaches. The tone becomes more pensive. In a sustained passage with the men, Ms. Bugge seems angelic, the white purity of her dress matching the purity of her dancing. The men then march off: to guard duty? To battle? Or to an unknown fate.

Paul Taylor’s newest work, Death and the Damsel, is set to Bohuslav Martinů’s Sonata #2, beautifully played live from the pit by Myron Lutzke (cello) and Margaret Kampmeier (piano). Massive backdrops of Gotham cityscapes (designed by Santo Loquasto) loom over the action; especially marvelous is Loquasto’s view of the Chrysler Building.

Jamie Rae Walker awakens from sleep in her tiny loft-room. In her introductory solo, Ms. Walker does everything from fouetté turns to cartwheels, expressing her innocence and her joy at living in the most exciting city on Earth. Suddenly her peace of mind is disturbed by the entrance of vampiric creatures dressed in black leather with Goth hairdos and makeup.

The action suddenly shifts to a dance club where Ms. Walker is heartlessly gang-raped. In a duet which combines terror and deadly allure, the girl is partnered by the glowingly sinister Michael Trusnovec. Later, she tries to fend off the gorgeously evil and predatory Laura Halzack. The ballet ends with Ms. Walker apparently being devoured by her attackers (though the people seated behind us were saying the ending was somewhat different at an earlier performance they had seen). Whether the scenario represents the damsel’s nightmare or her secret fantasy we cannot guess; but the work did offer a big opportunity for Ms. Walker and she made the most of it.

Above: the Taylor men in Brandenburgs; photo by Paul B Goode

Paul Taylor’s 1988 abstract Bach ballet Brandenburgs brought the evening to a marvelous close. Wearing Santo Loquasto’s rich forest-green velvety costumes, the men perform stylized leaps and semaphoric gestures that made me think of some of Martha Graham’s unison passages. Three beauties appear – Michelle Fleet, Parisa Khobdeh, and Eran Bugge – each dancing a solo enmeshed with the men: each woman radiant and creating her own perfumed atmosphere. In an adagio solo demanding peerless physical control and expressiveness, Michael Trusnovec was simply magnificent. Tonight’s Brandenburgs showed Taylor’s choreography and his thrillingly talented dancers at their very finest.

Above: Parisa Khobdeh and the ensemble in Brandenburgs; photo by Paul B Goode

I loved running into Annmaria Mazzini and John Eirich tonight.

March 21, 2015
Paul Taylor Dance Company/Lincoln Center 2014 #3

Wednesday March 26, 2014 – With America going to pot, Paul Taylor’s A FIELD OF GRASS was a particularly timely opening work on tonight’s programme as the venerable choreographer’s troupe of outstanding dancers neared the end of their three-week season at Lincoln Center. To the gently joyous and sometimes ironic songs of Harry Nilsson, the dancers evoked the joys of getting high.

Robert Kleinendorst’s opening solo has an innocent air, a toke or two getting him there as he savors a summer afternoon. He’s joined by others from the commune, everyone relaxed and ever-so-slightly paranoid. There’s a blissful, light-stepping duet for Robert and the sensational Michelle Fleet, and Aileen Roehl is simply groovy in a featured role. Eran Bugge, Christina Lynch Markham, Sean Mahoney and Francisco Graciano bend, sway and celebrate under the influence; all that’s missing is the obligatory trip to the grocery store.

In a violent mood swing, the second work tonight was Taylor’s 2005 ballet BANQUET OF VULTURES set to Morton Feldman’s eerie Oboe and Orchestra. A quote from 19th-cenutry Scottish poet John Davidson’s ‘War Poem‘ heralds the encompassing darkness of this work: “And blood in torrents pour In vain–Always in vain, For war breeds war again!”

The curtain opens on a shadowy stage, with an ensemble of camouflage-clad dancers writhing in candlelight. The dancers’ moves suggest the hopeless stupor of those long held in tortured captivity; awakened to another day of terrorized despair, they begin to rush about in furtive panic, seeking routes of escape.

Michael Trusnovec, a malevolent power-figure in a dark suit and red tie, emerges from the gloom; with a reptilian slither in his walk and an emphatic stamping of his heels, this sadistic jailer strikes fear in the huddled captives. Seizing upon his prey, Jamie Rae Walker, Michael systematically breaks her down, with a brutal act of rape before he stabs her and drags her body away to be discarded.

The narrative is destined to be endlessly repeated: a new master of war, Robert Kleinendorst, now appears and dances a spastic solo, flinging himself to the floor in paroxyms of rage before he approaches the prisoners, instilling them with visions of a fresh hell.

The communicative powers of Ms. Walker and Mssers. Trusnovec and Kleinendorst were at full sail in this powerful work which evokes the now largely-forgotten bastions of cruelty – Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib – and the unfettered vanity of George W Bush and his war-mongering administration.

I first experienced CLOVEN KINGDOM at Jacob’s Pillow not long after its creation; Paul Taylor’s works were my first exposure to modern dance and CLOVEN KINGDOM struck me an an especial favorite and it remains so to this day, after many viewings.

Meshing music by Arcangelo Corelli, Henry Cowell and Malloy Miller, Paul Taylor develops this visually stunning ballet against a sound collage that combines the elegant formality of the Baroque with sensuous back-beats and jungular vibrations. Treading along the fault lines between the civilized and the savage, the quartet of men in tuxedos – Michael Trusnovec, Michael Apuzzo, Michael Novak and George Smallwood – move with a kind of predatory elegance. The women wear sweeping gowns in attractive hues and later some of them add mirrored heardresses, casting jewel-like refractions of light about the stage and into the theatre. Urgently lyrical swirls, stylized gestures, and witty pairings decorate the evolving choreography for the female ensemble: Michelle Fleet, Eran Bugge, Laura Halzack, Jamie Rae Walker, Aileen Roehl, Heather McGinley, Christina Lynch Markham and Kristi Tornga. In one of those inimitable Taylor touches, Ms. Roehl – in lime green – periodically crosses the stage in a leaping diagonal: a woman with a mission…though we have no idea what impels her quest. Brilliant!

As this was my last Taylor performance of the current season, I want to express my sincere appreciation to the marvelous Taylor dancers – with roses for the newcomers Ms. Markham and Ms. Tornga for their excellent work – and a note of thanks to the Company’s Lisa Labrado, who is always so helpful. And then, of course, there’s the Great Man himself.

March 26, 2014