Paul Taylor Dance Company to perform at Northrop with live orchestra.

Paul Taylor Dance Company will perform at Northrop, accompanied by a live orchestra, on Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 p.m. as part of the 2026-27 Northrop Season on the Carlson Family Stage.

The company continues to perform under the artistic direction of Michael Novak, who was appointed by Paul Taylor himself. Paul Taylor forged a career the company describes as built on 'valiant authenticity, creative risk and unremitting dedication,' always giving the 'extra push' that he described as 'zunch' in a 1974 letter to his dancers. His playful experimentation with movement and music, which initially earned him the moniker 'naughty boy of dance' from Martha Graham, left a lasting imprint as one of the founding fathers of American modern dance.

Paul Taylor Dance Company (PTDC) continues to make 'art that radiates integrity, conviction and splendor' (Fjord Review) under Novak's direction.

Program

The Northrop program opens with Taylor's 'Brandenburgs,' danced to high-tempo concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach, displaying the ecstasy of music geometrically visualized through dance. 'Beauty is the only word for Brandenburgs,' said dance critic Mary Clarke for The Guardian.

The program then pivots to the postmodern tang of a new work by choreographer Pam Tanowitz, 'Messengers, Maidens and the End of Something Else,' danced to Franz Schubert's haunting 'Death and the Maiden,' with sets and costumes by visual artist Sarah Crowner. Dance critic for The New York Times Siobhan Burke said in 2019, 'It was in Tanowitz's bountiful [work] that the company's future — and present — looked brightest.'

Closing the evening is 'No Longer Silent' (2007) by Resident Choreographer Robert Battle. This large-ensemble work, receiving its company premiere, is 'arguably his strongest,' according to The New York Times. Battle evokes 'powerful phrases [that] stir the imagination with images of flight and fatigue, chaos and unity, collectivity and individualism,' as described by Alvin Ailey American Dance Company.

Related Events

Intermediate/advanced dancers can join company dancers Madelyn Ho and Lee Duveneck for a Technique Class at Zenon Dance School on Sept. 24. The class is free, with registration required and limited capacity.

A free in-person Performance Preview with Artistic Director Michael Novak and Choreographer Robert Battle will take place in Northrop's Best Buy Theater (Level 4) at 6:30 p.m. before the Sept. 26 performance, as part of UMN Conversations at Northrop.

Event Details

Paul Taylor Dance Company With Live Orchestra

Saturday, Sept. 26, 7:30 p.m.

2026-27 Northrop Season

Carlson Family Stage

The Northrop 2026-27 Season activities are made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a Minnesota State Arts Board Operating Support grant, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.