Twyla Tharp is an American dance choreographer, known for her contributions to modern dance. She studied with famous figures in American modern dance and is also a talented musician and author. She founded Twyla Tharp Dance in 1965 and merged with American Ballet Theater in 1988. Tharp’s dance is dynamic, eccentric and captivating. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her contributions to dance, including work in Broadway shows, television and film. Tharp has also been a guest choreographer all over the world.
Twyla Tharp is an American dance choreographer, born in 1941 in Portland, Indiana. Twyla Tharp is known throughout the world for her contributions to the art of modern dance and she has had the privilege of studying with many well-known figures in American modern dance, including Martha Graham, Paul Taylor and Merce Cunningham. In addition to being a superb dancer and choreographer, Twyla Tharp is also a talented musician and author, and is sometimes called a renaissance woman due to her vast knowledge of a wide number of subjects.
Born in Indiana, Twyla Tharp moved to Southern California with her parents at a young age. Her mother encouraged her to take dance lessons in a variety of disciplines including ballet, tap, modern and jazz. Additionally, young Twyla Tharp took lessons in numerous instruments, courses in painting, French, and a variety of other humanities. She ended up studying at Barnard College in New York City, graduating in 1963.
At Barnard, Twyla Tharp took advantage of the school’s accessibility to American Ballet Theater and took a number of dance classes outside of the Barnard curriculum. At Barnard, she studied art history, but she never lost her fascination with dance, joining the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1963 shortly after graduating. In 1965 she left to found Twyla Tharp Dance, a company which has become internationally known. In 1988, Twyla Tharp’s dance merged with American Ballet Theater for several years before Twyla Tharp expanded on its own again in 1991.
Twyla Tharp entered the world of modern dance at a time when most of the arts were in turmoil. The period of rebellion that marked the 1960s in America dramatically changed the face of modern dance, and Twyla Tharp was an integral part of that change. The dances she choreographed were characterized by great technical skill with a sense of mischief. The dancers were usually classically trained, but could be found running, jumping, or leaping around the stage in addition to participating in physically demanding traditional dances. Her dance is dynamic, eccentric and captivating.
Twyla Tharp has received numerous awards and recognition for her contributions to dance, including work in many Broadway shows including Movin’ Out (2004), When We Were Very Young (1980) and Singin’ In the Rain (1985) . She has also choreographed for television and film. Twyla Tharp has also been a guest choreographer all over the world, from the Paris Opera to the Martha Graham Dance Company.
An iconic figure in American dance, Twyla Tharp has made lasting contributions to modern dance and musical theatre.
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