Wolf Trap Co-Commissions New Work from Paul Taylor in Celebration of His 80th Birthday
Washington, D. C. Region’s Premiere of Paul Taylor’s Phantasmagoria to be Presented July 20, 2010 at the Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Vienna, VA (Vocus) July 19, 2010
The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts (http://www. wolftrap. org/) will celebrate the 80th birthday of modern dance legend Paul Taylor, with the Washington D. C. area premiere of Phantasmagoria, a new work commissioned from Paul Taylor by Wolf Trap and the American Dance Festival. The new piece, designated as a Kay Shouse Great Performance in honor of Wolf Trap’s founder Catherine Filene Shouse, will be performed July 20th at 8 pm during the Paul Taylor Dance Company’s performance (http://www. wolftrap. org/Home/Find_Performances_and_Events/Performance/10Filene/0720show10.aspx) at The Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
The premiere of Phantasmagoria marks the fifth time the Paul Taylor Dance Company has performed at Wolf Trap since 1995. Commissioning new works (http://wolftrapinsider. blogspot. com/2010/07/what-is-commissioning-and-why-do-we-do. html) is a core component of Wolf Trap’s mission. The Foundation has commissioned more than 40 new works in the last decade under the direction of Terrence D. Jones, president and CEO, Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts, including dance pieces from Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre, Ballet Hispanico, Miami City Ballet, Trey McIntyre Project and Pilobolus Dance Theater.
“Commissioning new work has always been an important part of Wolf Trap’s focus for the last 15 years, to make historical and lasting contributions to America’s performance repertoire,” said Jones. “Wolf Trap is a long time supporter of Paul Taylor’s work and we are honored to celebrate his birthday with this special contribution.”
In addition to Phantasmagoria, which will be performed to music by anonymous Renaissance composers, the Paul Taylor Dance Company will perform Also Playing, introduced in 2009, and Beloved Renegade, which debuted in 2008.
Paul Taylor Dance Company Master Class
The morning of the July 20th performance, Wolf Trap will offer a special Master Class taught by a member of the Paul Taylor Dance Company for dance students to learn from some of the best in the field. The 90-minute class starting at 10:30 a. m. will take place in the Filene Center Rehearsal Hall, stage and is open for dance enthusiasts to observe. Participants will take an intermediate level modern technique class.
Wolf Trap offers Master Classes throughout performance seasons at both the Filene Center (http://www. wolftrap. org/Filene. aspx) and The Barns at Wolf Trap (http://www. wolftrap. org/Barns. aspx). Professional performing artists of all disciplines present Master Classes in the areas of dance, musical theater, opera, folk, jazz, pop, and classical music. These classes provide both observers and participants a behind-the-curtain view of Wolf Trap's stages, as well as the opportunity to work closely with a culturally diverse group of internationally renowned performing artists.
Paul Taylor, a Virginia native is considered by many to be one of the greatest living choreographers. He started his career with the Martha Graham Dance Company shortly after attending the Juilliard School. In 1954 he founded his own company for which he has created 132 dances that have been performed in more than 520 cities across 62 countries. Mr. Taylor has received every important honor given to artists in the United States, including the National Medal of Arts from President Clinton in 1993. He was named one of 50 prominent Americans honored in recognition of their outstanding achievement by the Library of Congress’s Office of Scholarly Programs. For Paul Taylor’s complete biography and more information on the Company please visit: http://www. paultaylor. org (http://www. paultaylor. org)
About the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
The Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts is a non-profit organization founded by Catherine Filene Shouse (1896-1994) that produces and presents a full-range of performance and education programs in the Greater Washington area, as well as nationally and internationally. Wolf Trap is home to three performance venues, the Filene Center—America’s National Park for the Performing Arts, The Barns and Children’s Theatre-in-the-Woods. The Filene Center, which operates in partnership with the National Park Service, is a 7,028-seat outdoor pavilion that showcases an extensive list of diverse artists, ranging from pop, country, folk and blues to orchestra, dance, theater and opera, as well as multimedia presentations from May through September each year; The Barns operate year round. The Wolf Trap Opera Company is one of America’s outstanding resident ensemble programs for young opera singers. Wolf Trap’s education programs include the nationally acclaimed Wolf Trap Institute for Early Learning Through the Arts, scholarships, master classes, and internships. Visit the Wolf Trap Web site at http://www. wolftrap. org (http://www. wolftrap. org) for more information. Terrence D. Jones is president and CEO of the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.
Wolf Trap Media Contacts:
Melissa Chotiner. Director, Public Relations, (703) 255-4096
Graham Binder, Assistant Director, Public Relations, (703) 255-1917
Paul Taylor Dance Company Media Contact:
Lisa Labrado, Vice President, Brand Marketing, Porter Novelli, 212.601.8243
###
