Queens Theatre in the Park Presents Paul Taylor Dance Company 12/18

Queens Theatre in the Park (QTP) presents the Paul Taylor Dance Company on December 18, 2010 at 2pm and 8pm, and December 19, 2010 at 3pm, at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY. Tickets are $24-$40 and are available at www.queenstheatre.org or by phone at 718-760-0064.

This legendary company will present a program featuring the best from their brilliant repertoire. Renowned for their radiant and fluid musicality and their continuous flow of energy, Paul Taylor Dance Company never fails to live up to the high standard they have set for modern dance companies everywhere! Alastair Macaulay of The New York Times said, "No mystery in the art of dance runs deeper than that of how movement and music can fit satisfyingly together. And today no choreographer addresses that mystery with more imaginative power than Paul Taylor."

ABOUT THE Paul Taylor DANCE COMPANY

Sunday, May 30, 1954. President Eisenhower was in the midst of a counteroffensive against Sen. Joseph McCarthy and his charges that communists had infiltrated the highest levels of American government. The United States, Great Britain and France were discussing an accord that would divide Vietnam into two countries, North and South. Gil Hodges homered to lead Brooklyn to a 5-3 victory at the Polo Grounds. And at 8:40 in the evening at the Henry Street Settlement in Manhattan, a 23-year-old dancer and five colleagues gave the first public performance of his choreography, a dance called Jack and the Beanstalk. While the dance soon faded from memory, the choreographer became a giant - the youngest member of the pantheon that created American modern dance, and one of history's most celebrated artists. Laura Shapiro once wrote in Newsweek, "Short course in modern dance: in the beginning there was Martha Graham, who changed the face of an art form and discovered a new world. Then there was Merce Cunningham, who stripped away the externals and showed us the heart of movement. And then there was Paul Taylor, who let the sun shine in." The Paul Taylor Dance Company and Taylor 2, created in 1993, have traveled the globe many times over, bringing Mr. Taylor's ever-burgeoning repertoire to theaters and venues of every size and description in cultural capitals, on college campuses and in rural communities - and often to places modern dance had never been before. The Taylor Company has performed in more than 520 cities in 62 countries, representing the United States at arts festivals in more than 40 countries and touring extensively under the aegis of the U.S. Department of State. In 1997 the Company toured throughout India in celebration of that nation's 50th Anniversary. Its 1999 engagement in Chile was named the Best International Dance Event of 1999 by the country's Art Critics' Circle. In the summer of 2001 the Company toured in the People's Republic of China and performed in six cities, four of which had never seen American modern dance before. In the spring of 2003 the Company mounted an award-winning four-week, seven-city tour of the United Kingdom. The Company's performances in China in November 2007 mark its fourth tour there. While continuing to garner international acclaim, the Paul Taylor Dance Company performs more than half of each touring season in cities throughout the United States. The Company's New York City Center season in 2005, marking its 50th Anniversary, was attended by more than 25,000 people. In celebration of the Anniversary and 50 years of creativity by one of the most extraordinary artists the world has ever known, the Taylor Foundation presented Mr. Taylor's works in all 50 States between March 2004 and November 2005. That tour underscored the Taylor Company's historic role as one of the early touring companies of American modern dance. Beginning with its first television appearance for the Dance in America series in 1978, the Paul Taylor Dance Company has appeared on PBS in nine different programs, including the 1991 Emmy Award-winning Speaking in Tongues and The Wrecker's Ball - with Company B, Funny Papers, and A Field of Grass - which was nominated for an Emmy Award in 1997. In 1999 the PBS American Masters series aired Dancemaker, the Academy Award nominated documentary about Mr. Taylor and the Taylor Company, which is available on home video.

Queens Theatre in the Park is a tax exempt, not for profit organization, funded in part by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Speaker Christine Quinn and the Council of the City of New York, and Queens Borough President Helen Marshall. Queens Theatre's programs and events are made possible with public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional public funding is provided by members of the New York City Council and members of the New York State Assembly and Senate.

Tickets are available:
* Online at www.queenstheatre.org.
* By phone at 718-760-0064, Tue-Sat, 12-6pm.
* In person at Queens Theatre in the Park, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.

* Subscriptions: Become a Theatre or Dance Subscriber by ordering tickets to all four Theatre Series events or all four Dance Series events and enjoy significant savings off the ticket price.
* Multi Show: Order any three or more shows and earn the multi show discount price. This discount is available for any show this season. There is no limit on the number of tickets you can purchase at this discount. If you are already a Theatre or Dance Subscriber or have purchased at least two shows this season, you have already earned this discount on additional ticket purchases.
* Groups: Contact group sales associate Barbara Matovu at 718-760-0064 x128 for groups of 15 or more.

Queens Theatre in the Park is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Flushing, NY.
By Subway: Take the 7 train to Mets-Willets Point stop. Exit and turn left after passing through turnstile, walk downstairs on the parking lot side and follow the theatre shuttle signs. Take free trolley to the Theatre. Trolley runs for one hour before and after all performances.
By Car: Take the Grand Central Parkway to exit 9E (from Manhattan) or 9P (from Long Island) and follow the signs for the Theatre. Free parking in adjacent lot.

About Queens Theatre in the Park
Queens Theatre in the Park is committed to presenting performing arts that provide audiences with the highest quality work. QTP also produces new plays, with a concentration on up-and-coming directors and playwrights. QTP has broadened the experience of its core audience to include works by under-recognized artists from around the world and works that tap into the diverse communities of Queens.

Queens Theatre in the Park is located in Flushing Meadows Corona Park in the New York State Pavilion designed for the 1964 World's Fair by Philip Johnson. The Pavilion was converted to a theatre in 1972 and was operated by various organizations until 1985. QTP was officially established in 1989 with the full support of the community and the Queens Borough President. After a $4 million renovation that brought full ADA compliance, the Theatre officially opened to the public in 1993 in a facility that allows it to stage productions equal to those of any Off-Broadway house in Manhattan in its 464-seat main stage theatre and its 99-seat Studio Theatre. What was then a small cabaret-style theater with an operating budget of under $500,000 has transformed itself into a major performing arts center with exhibition galleries with a projected operating budget of $3.5 million for FY10.

QTP became an independent nonprofit in 1997. It is a member of the Cultural Institutions Group receiving support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs. The Theatre presents and produces 300 performances annually. QTP serves 100,000 people annually who reflect the rich demographics of its community population. Currently 75% of the Theatre's constituency is from Queens. In addition to its own season, QTP frequently provides its space for use by community arts organizations and local promoters.

QTP is soon to complete a $23 million physical transformation of the Theatre with funding provided by Queens Borough President Helen Marshall, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg and The Council of the City of New York. This major capitalinvestment has added a 75-seat cabaret performance space with a full service cafe and kitchen facility; created a dramatic new 3,000 square foot lobby/reception area; provided new visitor amenities and improved the facility's accessibility. These improvements will transform Queens Theatre in the Park into a destination for the residents of the Borough and beyond.

Bank of America is the proud lead corporate partner for the new cabaret at Queens Theatre in the Park.

Theatre and Dance Programs are supported by The New York Community Trust.

Major Support for The Immigrant Voices Project is provided by The Greenwall Foundation and the Jerome Foundation.

The JP Morgan Chase Foundation provides funding for the Latino Cultural Festival & year-long Latin programming.

Funding for Dance Programming is provided by The Harkness Foundation for Dance, Jerome Robbins Foundation, and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation.

Additional Program Support provided by Bloomberg, the David Schwartz Foundation, RBC Wealth Management and the Shubert Foundation.

American Express is the presenting Sponsor of the American Express Cultural Heritage Series.

Con Edison is the official Sponsor of Queens Theatre in the Park's website: www.queenstheatre.org

Con Edison is the presenting Sponsor of the Immigrant Voices Project.

Queens Center is the presenting Sponsor of the Kids' Corner.

Astoria Federal Savings is the presenting Sponsor of Celebrity Events.

Funding for the Onstage Program at JHS 185 and the Westbury Middle School is provided by the JP Morgan Chase Foundation.

Deutsche Bank has awarded a 2-year "Art & Enterprise" Stabilization grant to Queens Theatre in the Park.

Delta Air Lines is the official airline of Queens Theatre in the Park.

Time Warner Cable is an official media sponsor of Queens Theatre in the Park.

For more information, visit www.queenstheatre.org.