Paul Taylor Dance Company to Lead Off Inaugural City Center Dance Festival

Paul Taylor Dance Company will perform at the inaugural City Center Dance Festival from March 24-31, at New York City Center. The engagement will feature three special programs showcasing the range of Taylor classics including Brandenburgs, Roses and the masterwork Esplanade, alongside commissioned works by the two of the next generation of dance makers; Larry Keigwin's Rush Hour and a World Premiere by former New York City Ballet Principal Lauren Lovette. The performances will mark the Company's first indoor performances in New York City since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ticket prices start at $35 and are available at nycitycenter.org.

"It has been a long two years since our Company has performed in our beloved hometown and we can't wait to be back at New York City Center, where so much of our history was made," said Artistic Director Michael Novak. "We are thrilled to present a collection of Paul Taylor's genius masterworks, Larry Keigwin's electrifying dance Rush Hour, and the premiere of Lauren Lovette's lush new work Pentimento* to help launch this exciting Festival alongside Ballet Hispánico, Dance Theatre of Harlem and Martha Graham Dance Company."

The Company's 2022 City Center Dance Festival repertoire includes Airs (1978), Brandenburgs (1988), Esplanade (1975), Offenbach Overtures (1995), Roses (1985), Mr. Keigwin's Rush Hour (2016), and Pentimento* (2022) by Ms. Lovette. PTDC performances are Tuesdays through Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and
2:00 p.m. on Sundays

Ms. Lovette's work Pentimento* will premiere on opening night of the Festival on Thursday, March 24. Pentimento* is set to music by Alberto Ginastera, with lighting by Taylor Company's principal lighting designer Jennifer Tipton, and costumes by Barbara Erin Delo. Ms. Lovette is the first choreographer selected by Mr. Novak to choreograph for the Taylor Company Commissions program.

Maestro David LaMarche accepts the position of the new Music Director for the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation. He will conduct PTDC's long-time musical partners Orchestra of St. Luke's on every program. Maestro LaMarche has been conducting orchestras in the dance field for more than 35 years, working with prestigious organizations including American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, and many others. He succeeds previous Music Director Donald York who died in 2021.

The Jody and John Arnhold Tier 3: Dance Education and Audience Development Initiative will bring students, families and teachers to New York City Center through its program for the first time. Designed in collaboration with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, The Taylor School and dance advocate and educator Jody Arhold in 2015, the program seeks to inspire and provoke the curiosity of thousands of public school children in New York State through exposure to some of the world's greatest art-and artists-of our time through creating curriculum including workshops, study guides, engagement with artists, and free tickets during the Company's New York Seasons.

PTDC's Festival programs are as follows:

Program A | March 24, 26, 29

Roses
Choreography by Paul Taylor
Music by Richard Wagner / Heinrich Baermann

Pentimento*
Choreography by Lauren Lovette
Music by Alberto Ginastera

Brandenburgs
Choreography by Paul Taylor
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach

Program B | March 25, 27, 30

Offenbach Overtures
Choreography by Paul Taylor
Music by Jacques Offenbach

Airs
Choreography by Paul Taylor
Music by George Frideric Handel

Rush Hour
Choreography by Larry Keigwin
Music by Adam Crystal

Program C | March 31

Roses
Choreography by Paul Taylor
Music by Richard Wagner / Heinrich Baermann

Offenbach Overtures
Choreography by Paul Taylor
Music by Jacques Offenbach

Esplanade
Choreography by Paul Taylor
Music by Johann Sebastian Bach

* World Premiere

New York City Center operates a fully vaccinated venue and requires all audience members to provide proof of full COVID-19 vaccination and booster (for those eligible), and masks must be worn in the theater at all times. Additional information about the policy can be found here.

About the Paul Taylor Dance Company:

One of the most iconic and dynamic modern dance ensembles of our time, the Paul Taylor Dance Company has been innovating and transforming the art form of modern dance since 1954. With a history of multidisciplinary collaborations, passionate expression and thrilling athleticism, the Company is known

worldwide for its vast repertory, performing work from the Founder's canon; new works created by some of today's most engaging and established choreographers; and important historical dance from the 20th and 21st centuries. Dedicated to sharing modern dance with the broadest possible audience, the Company tours annually, both domestically and internationally, with performances and a variety of educational programs and engagement offerings. paultaylordance.org

About The Taylor School:
The Taylor School, established in 1984, is under the direction of Taylor Alumna, Carolyn Adams. As the educational arm of the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation, the School seeks to embrace the rich multicultural history of the dance field while providing innovative educational initiatives to empower, inspire and support the next generation of dancers, dance makers, dance audiences, and dance advocates. Through focused programming, high quality dance education is offered to students of all ages and levels, including introductory and professional level classes, our semester-long Youth/Adult Program, and the touring Taylor Teen

Ensemble. Another uniquely Taylor offering is the Jody and John Arnhold Tier 3: Dance Education and Audience Development Initiative, which offers free dance classes and tickets to the Company's New York Seasons to K-12 students throughout the state of New York. The Taylor School has achieved distinction by the virtue of outstanding and dedicated faculty members - including current members of PTDC, Taylor alumni and guest artists. The School has become a home base for an increasing number of young dancers in New York City who are not connected/or affiliated with universities or conservatories. Students receive individual attention, mentoring, performance opportunities and a generous scholarships program. For more information visit: paultaylordance.org/school.

About Orchestra of St. Luke's:

Orchestra of St. Luke's (OSL) grew from a group of virtuoso musicians performing chamber music concerts at Greenwich Village's Church of St. Luke in the Fields in 1974. Regular seasons see OSL perform in diverse musical genres at New York's major concert venues, drawing on an expanded roster for large-scale works, and collaborating with artists ranging from Joshua Bell and Renée Fleming to Bono and Metallica. The orchestra has commissioned more than 50 new works and has given more than 175 world, U.S., and New York City premieres, while also participating in 118 recordings, four of which have been recognized with Grammy Awards. Internationally celebrated for his expertise in 18th-century music, Bernard Labadie was appointed as OSL's Principal Conductor in 2018, continuing the orchestra's long tradition of working with proponents of historical performance practice. Built and operated by OSL, the DiMenna Center for Classical Music opened in 2011. New York City's only rehearsal, recording, education and performance space expressly dedicated to classical music, it serves more than 500 ensembles and 30,000 musicians each year. Learn more at OSLmusic.org or @OSLmusic on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook and more.

About Larry Keigwin:

Larry Keigwin is a native New Yorker, choreographer, and curator who has danced his way from the Metropolitan Opera to Broadway and back. Keigwin has created 30 works for his dance company, in addition to the large-scale community project, Bolero, which has been commissioned in 15 communities nationwide. Commissions include Paul Taylor's American Modern Dance, Royal New Zealand Ballet, The Martha Graham Dance Company, among others. His work in musical theater includes off-Broadway's Rent, for which he received the 2011 Joe A. Callaway Award. In 2013, Keigwin choreographed Broadway's If/Then. Keigwin has created acclaimed virtual works for The Juilliard School, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Works & Process at the Guggenheim. Keigwin is the Director of Dance and a co-founder of the Green Box Arts Festival in Green Mountain Falls, CO and is also the Dance Editor of ArtDesk magazine. Larry and his husband, Chris Keesee, live on the Upper East Side with their two dogs.

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About Lauren Lovette:
Lauren Lovette is the first choreographer selected by Taylor Artistic Director Michael Novak to create a work on the Company through the Taylor Company Commissions program. As a principal dancer at New York City Ballet, Ms. Lovette choreographed for the 2016 Fall Fashion Gala. She was awarded the Virginia B. Toulmin Fellowship at the Center for Ballet and the Arts at NYU in 2018, and a year later created a second work for the Fashion Gala. In addition to Paul Taylor and NYC Ballet, her work has been commissioned and performed by American Ballet Theatre, Vail International Dance Festival, American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and showcased in a self-produced evening, Why It Matters. Ms. Lovette received the Clive Barnes Award for dance in December 2012 and was the 2012-2013 recipient of the City Ballet Janice Levin Award. In 2021, she stepped down from her position there to embark on a career devoted in more equal measure to dance and choreography.

About David LaMarche:

Maestro David LaMarche has been working as a conductor in the dance field for more than thirty-five years. He served as Music Director for the Dance Theatre of Harlem from 1993 to 1998 and conducted many of the company's premieres. In addition, he composed and arranged several scores for the repertory. As a guest, he has conducted for New York City Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Limón Dance Company, Paul Taylor Dance Company, L'Opera di Roma, Het National Ballet and Ballet West. The orchestras he has directed include the Houston Symphony, the Lyric Opera Orchestra of Chicago, the Pacific Symphony, Orchestra of St. Luke's, The Paris Opera Orchestra, the National Arts Center Orchestra of Canada, the Tokyo Philharmonic, the Hong Kong Philharmonic, the Moscow Radio Orchestra, the Tivoli Festival Orchestra, and the Orchestre Lamoreux. Maestro LaMarche is currently in his twenty-second year on the staff of American Ballet Theatre. He is a Guest Faculty Member of The Juilliard School and a regular contributor to New York Concert Review.

About New York City Center:
New York City Center (Arlene Shuler, President & CEO) has played a defining role in the cultural life of the city since 1943. Manhattan's first performing arts center, City Center was founded by Mayor Fiorello La Guardia with the mission of making the best in music, theater, and dance accessible to all audiences. This commitment continues today through celebrated dance and musical theater series including the Fall for Dance Festival, the Tony-honored Encores! and Encores! Off-Center, and the newest series Artists at the Center and City Center Dance Festival. The distinctive neo-Moorish theater welcomes over 300,000 annual visitors to experience internationally acclaimed artists on the same stage where legends like George Balanchine, Leonard Bernstein, Barbara Cook, José Ferrer, Martha Graham, and Paul Robeson made their mark. Home to a roster of renowned national and international companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, City Center's Principal Dance Company, and Manhattan Theatre Club, City Center's dynamic programming, art exhibitions, studio events, and master classes, are complemented by education and community engagement programs that bring the performing arts to over 11,000 New York City students, teachers, and families each year. NYCityCenter.org