Margie Gillis Is Choreographing New Work To Music Of Bach

Margie Gillis has begun to choreograph a dance on the Paul Taylor Dance Company (PTDC) to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach as a Guest Resident Choreographer of Paul Taylor American Modern Dance (PTAMD). Ms. Gillis was selected by Paul Taylor prior to his death in August. Her new work will premiere as part of Orchestra of St. Luke's Bach Festival next June, and will then be part of PTAMD's Fall Lincoln Center Season.

As a Guest Resident Choreographer, Ms. Gillis will be fully embedded into creative life at the Taylor Studios, creating new pieces on the Paul Taylor Dance Company, teaching classes at The Taylor School, participating in free humanities events open to the community regarding their creative process, and more.

"Margie Gillis is a beloved member of Paul Taylor's extended dance family," said Paul Taylor Dance Foundation Artistic Director Michael Novak. "She and her brother Christopher Gillis, a Taylor dancer who also choreographed on the Company, were among the dance artists most treasured by Mr. Taylor. She is not only a dynamic and captivating choreographer, but also an extraordinary teacher and mentor who breathes new dimensions into the artists she works with. It is a sincere pleasure to have her here with us."

An internationally acclaimed modern choreographer/dancer, Ms. Gillis has created original works for more than 45 years. Her repertoire now includes more than 100 solos, duets and group pieces. She has won over loyal audiences with her masterful interpretation of the different facets of the human soul, and continues to develop her work through experimenting, teaching and creating.

In 1979, Ms. Gillis was invited to teach and give lectures in China, thus becoming the first artist from the West to introduce modern dance in that country after the Cultural Revolution. Two years later, she founded the Margie Gillis Dance Foundation with the mission to support and present her artistic work. Her international tours have taken her to Asia, India, Europe, the Middle East and across North and South America.

Ms. Gillis has worked with some of the most important dance artists and companies of her time. Teaching is also an important aspect of her career. She offers workshops for dance professionals and students in various cities throughout the world, including New York where she has taught at The Juilliard School. She is a founding collaborator of Springboard Danse Montréal. She also gives lectures on dance and the role of art in society. With her unique approach of Dancing from the Inside Out, she teaches her art form to professionals and aficionados; she also mentors fellow artists of excellence and new dancers alike.

A socially committed artist, Ms. Gillis has been spokesperson for organizations dedicated to the fight against AIDS, environmental causes, OXFAM and the Planned Parenthood Foundation. She is a founding member of Artistes pour la Paix (Artists for Peace), which is an organization of artists committed to supporting peace and understanding through their artistry and work.

Ms. Gillis is an Honorary Cultural Ambassador for both the Quebec and Canadian governments. In 1988, she was the first modern dance artist to be awarded the Order of Canada. In 2001, she received a Career Grant from the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec for her exceptional contribution to Quebec culture. In Fall 2008, she was chosen by the Stella Adler Studio of New York to receive their first MAD Spirit Award for her involvement in various social causes, and she was awarded the Walter Carsen Prize for Excellence in the Performing Arts by a jury of her peers at the Canada Council for the Arts. In June 2009, Ms. Gillis was appointed Knight of the Ordre national du Québec. In May 2011, she received the Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award from the Governor General's Performing Arts Award Foundation. In July 2013, she was promoted to an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Previous Taylor Company Commission recipients are Doug Elkins, Larry Keigwin, Lila York, Doug Varone and Bryan Arias, whose dances were presented during the 2017 and 2018 Seasons of PTAMD at Lincoln Center.

Major funding is provided by The SHS Foundation. Leadership support is provided by the Howard Gilman Foundation and Shubert Foundation. Public support is provided by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council; and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature.

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