Twyla Tharp Dance 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee Comes To Moss Cultural Arts Center In March

This March, the Dennis C. Moss Cultural Arts Center will present the Twyla Tharp Dance 60th Anniversary Diamond Jubilee, celebrating six decades of groundbreaking work by legendary choreographer Twyla Tharp. The show takes place on Saturday, March 1 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, March 2 at 3 p.m.

Audiences around the world have long admired Tharp's uncanny ability to interpret music through her choreography. Each variation in Tharp's interpretation is distinct in mood and texture, demonstrating her unparalleled range as a choreographer and her deep understanding of musical structure.

As the first and only choreographer to take on the complex “Diabelli Variations,” a sophisticated exploration of Beethoven's work, Tharp masterfully blends ballet, jazz, modern dance, and subtle inflections of street and social dance to bring out the nuanced elegance and wit of Beethoven's composition.

Tharp presents “Diabelli Variations” alongside brand-new choreography, set to Philip Glass's “Aguas da Amazonia.” Collaborating with members of Third Coast Percussion, who arranged and recorded the piece using custom-designed percussion instruments, Tharp creates a visually and sonically immersive experience.

The interplay between Glass's rhythmic complexity and Tharp's interpretive choreography promises a dynamic performance that evokes the vitality and movement of water and highlights Tharp's continual innovation in contemporary dance. Glass's arrangement was commissioned with support from Modlin Center for the Arts, the University of Richmond, the Zell Family Foundation, the Maxine and Stuart Frankel Foundation, the Julian Family Foundation, and Steph and Daniel Heffner.

Twyla Tharp is among the most celebrated and influential choreographers of the 20th and 21st centuries. With a career spanning 60 years, her body of work encompasses everything from ballet and jazz to modern and social dance, frequently transcending genres and showcasing her innovative approach to movement. Tharp's contributions have expanded the language of dance and impacted broader cultural discourse. The Diamond Jubilee tour began in January 2025 with a near-sold-out performance in Minneapolis.

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