Review: PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY at David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center

Barefoot and exquisitely technical, Paul Taylor Dance Company takes Lincoln Center by storm for their annual season at the David H. Koch Theater. Over the span of three weeks, the company presents a mix of Taylor masterworks such as Esplanade, Company B, and Scudorama, and two World Premieres by resident choreographers Lauren Lovette and Robert Battle. The company, known for its signature style and well-celebrated repertoire, shows the audience something almost inconceivable: endless stamina and grace.

Paul Taylor’s Scudorama, first performed in 1963, opens the evening program vividly. In unitards designed by Alex Katz, the dancers appear color-blocked in hyper-pigmented shades of yellow, red, black, and purple. Behind the dancers is a dark indigo backdrop with opaque black cutouts, which appear like dark clouds looming over the contrastingly bright costumes. Several dancers begin to move in black unitards with a white smock collar around the neck, appearing to reference either authoritarian or religious figures. While some of the choreography feels comical with fluttering wrists, playful head bobbing, and bouncy prancing, the environment of Scudorama feels moody, leaving us to our imagination for any type of distinct storyline.

Dancer Devon Louis stands out with immense technical ability and grace during a solo within Scudorama. He suspends balance with ease, swiftly executes double coupé turns, and jumps with flexed feet and buoyancy. Oe moment Louis slams a quilted blanket into the floor, other moments the dancers pile into a limp puddle, followed by lifts and solos in which the dancers appear as broken ragdolls. Taylor’s movement in Scudorama is abstract and awkward yet engaging and charming. 

An excerpt of Taylor’s Troilus and Cressida brings immediate comedic relief into the theater. Originally performed in 2006, Taylor pays hysterical homage to Shakespeare’s play set during the Trojan war. A trio of dancers Kristin Draucker, Lisa Borres Casey, and Payton Primer wear cherub-like wings, wigs, and small pink ballet skirts designed by Santa Loquasto. Cast as Cressida, dancer Madelyn Ho hops and trips with over-the-top exuberance, her face lit up with joyful humility. Her countless attempts to learn ‘how to dance’ or resemble the cherub figures causes laughter and smiles from the audience seats.

The comical nature of Troilus and Cressida only grows as Amilcare Ponchielli’s “Dance of the Hours” builds momentum. Playing Troilus, dancer Alex Clayton tries to lift and impress Ho, and even resorts to executing the coffee grinder in attempt to stay amusing. It is refreshing to witness organized, frenzied chaos in a proscenium setting.

After acquiring rights to the solo work, the company presents Takademe choreographed by Battle. Wearing bright red pants in a singular spotlight, Louis immediately moves when the acapella voice of Sheila Chandra begins. Assertive in his presence and stature, Louis’s rhythmic and athletic capabilities are hypnotizing. He articulates his shoulders, undulates his spine, and lunges with wide por de bras, performing a full split jump in transition. Originally choreographed on Parsons Dance Company, it is exciting to watch how the dancers of Taylor interpret the movement. 

Perhaps one of Taylor’s most classically known work, Esplanade, which was originally performed in 1975, closes the evening program in a burst of color. The bright orange, pink, and magenta on the dancers as the lights arise and strings begin feels fruitful and energetic. The dancers change direction and pace often, with a motif of catch steps to change direction boldly. Divided into multiple sections, the second chapter slows down in feeling and tempo. The feeling of longing consumes the stage as dancers plead, kneel, crawl, and are seen in isolation.

The real phenomenon of Esplanade is its marathon-like demands of the last section. Filled with full-speed running, huge baseball slides into the floor, and whirling jumps, the dancers’ faces do not show an ounce of challenge or tiredness.

Paul Taylor Modern Dance Company's season shares a mix of time periods and voices in dance, sending the audience into a balance of nostalgia and excitement.

Orchestra of St. Luke’s and St. George’s Choral Society and Devon Guthrie, Soprano

Founding Artistic Director: Paul Taylor

Artistic Director: Michael Novak

Resident Choreographers: Lauren Lovette, Robert Battle

Music Director and Conductor: David LaMarche

Principal Guest Conductor: Tara Simoncic

Principal Lighting Designers: Jennifer Tipton, James F. Ingalls

Principal Set and Costume Designers: Santo Loquasto, Alex Katz, William Ivey Long

Rehearsal Directors: Bettie De Jong, Cathy McCann

Choreography by: Robert Battle, Hope Boykin, Lauren Lovette, Jody Sperling, Paul Taylor

Executive Director: John Tomlinson

Paul Taylor Dance Company: Madelyn Ho, Kristin Draucker, Lee Duveneck, Alex Clayton, Devon Louis, John Harnage, Lisa Borres Casey, Jada Pearman, Jake Vincent, Jessica Ferretti, Austin Kelly, Kenny Corrigan, Gabrielle Barnes, Emmy Wildermuth, Elizabeth Chapa, Payton Primer, Caleb Mansor, Yuniel Betancourt, Patrick Gamble