Lifted Spirits
Even at his most straightforward, Paul Taylor often imbued his dances with a sardonic wit. Whether invoking darkness or light, he did so with a wink.
Continua a leggereWorld-class review of ballet and dance.
On one of the longest days of sunlight, the innovative, multi-disciplinary performance outpost in New York’s Hudson Valley, PS21, is presenting a “sneak preview” of a work under development in an onsite, four-week residency. The venue, with its 100 acres of unspoiled landscape, is dedicated to hosting residencies for the incubation of adventurous and oftentimes unclassifiable work. Surrounded by green slopes and leaf-laden trees, the open-air Pavilion Theater has been transformed with a black Marley floor in place of the usual seating area. Occupying the vertical space overhead, are two giant net sculptures by Janet Echelman. Suspended one above the other, they stretch across almost the entire length of the performance area. The audience is seated around this great centerpiece for a special preview of Rebecca Lazier’s “Noli Timere,” which means in Latin “Be Not Afraid.”
In an interview during the last week of the residency, I spoke with Lazier about the development of the production and the social practice it inspires. This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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Even at his most straightforward, Paul Taylor often imbued his dances with a sardonic wit. Whether invoking darkness or light, he did so with a wink.
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