People Are Talking: Paul Taylor Dance Company
Posted: 10/5/10 -- 2:29 pm
by Jim Leija
The Paul Taylor Dance Company arrives in Ann Arbor tonight (Tuesday) for a week of residency events and performances. During each performance (Thursday – Saturday), the company will perform a different program (there’s lots to see!). If you’re seeing more than one performance, we’d love to know how the shows varied from night to night. Also, if you’re attending one of the residency activities or workshops, feel free to talk about your experience in that regard. We even hear that Paul Taylor himself will be here in Ann Arbor…
Jim Leija is UMS Director of Education & Community Engagement. He's an alumni of the University of Michigan College of LSA, School of Music, Theatre & Dance, and School of Art & Design. Jim lives in Ann Arbor with his partner Aric and two dog-children named Olive and Maisie.
about 4 days ago 
about 7 days ago 
I saw the Paul Taylor performance last night and LOVED it! Esplanade was so energetic and playful and Speaking in Tongues said so much. It was a moving piece that, for me, made a huge comment on religion, spirituality, and morality. Each dancer’s movement not only highlighted the complexity of these themes but also revealed the personal struggles that religion, spirituality and morality bring individuals. What did you think of the Thursday night Paul Taylor performance? Which piece are you looking forward to the most?
Adrienne, UMS
I attended the Friday night performance, including Obs and Also Playing. In Orbs, the theme of astronomy was interesting, but I had trouble understanding the marriage rehearsal/ceremony and how it fit into the entire dance as a whole. If anyone would like to enlighten me, I would more than be willing to hear what you have to say. I have to write a paper on this after all. Also Playing was very comical. It was a bit of a risk to poke fun at other dance styles, however, I believe everyone needs to laugh at themselves once in a while.
Amy
Blog post: http://nanarama.wordpress.com/2010/10/10/happy-fe…
nanarama
We showed the Paul Taylor performace on Saturday 1pm. The performance was good but the second half was not appropriate for young kids. We avoid TV to avoid violence but the second half of the performance was plenty of violence. It should be chosen better a kid's performance,
simapa
Dear Simapa, Thank you for your comment. I will be contacting you directly about the concern you expressed. Ken Fischer, UMS President
Ken Fischer UMS Pres
With all respect to UMS and the consistently wonderful performers it brings to our town, I have to agree with simapa. My family and I attended the Paul Taylor family performance on Saturday at 1pm. It was my 10 month old daughter's first dance performance, and she loved the first piece ('Also Playing'), as did the rest of us. The second piece, performed by the UM dance department, was a beautifully danced and powerful piece; but the content was quite inappropriate for a family performance. I felt relieved that my daughter was too young to pose the question "Why did they kill the baby?" as did the girl in the row behind us. While I don't feel we need to (or should) water down the arts for our children, I expect UMS to be a little more thoughtful than to show a work in which nearly everyone is murdered to young children who may be experiencing dance for the first time. Or at least give parents a heads up before doing so. Again, a powerful piece; but a strange choice for a family performance.
Alyssa
6
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