When asked exactly how much exposure he’s had to Jewish wedding and folk dance, Paul Taylor laughed. “Of course, I’ve been exposed,” he said in the tone of someone who has lived in New York City for decades. “Hasn’t everybody?”
For Taylor, who can safely be described as one of the most prolific, distinguished choreographers in the history of modern dance, extensive ethnographic research proved unnecessary for “Klezmerbluegrass.” his 121st and latest work created in honor of “Celebrate 350: Jewish Life in America 1654-2004.”
Commissioned by the National Foundation for Jewish Culture, “Klezmerbluegrass” this Jewish-themed debut by the
74-year-old choreographer appears even more auspicious when considering that his company celebrates its 50th anniversary this year and will perform 18 other carefully selected dances created between 1956 and today.
“I was thrilled to be in on it,” said Taylor of the foundation’s commission. He was especially glad that his participation came with no restrictions. “I’ve been very lucky to do what I want with all the dances that I have been commissioned to do. This is unusual in my profession.”
Richard Siegel, executive director of the National Foundation for Jewish Culture said that to have Paul Taylor, “this genius choreographer who is quintessentially American, reflect on the Jewish experience was very exciting to us. He is arguably the greatest American modern dance choreographer alive.”
The foundation, which commissioned a work from the modern dance company Pilobolus in 2000, wanted to ensure that their new venture “would be widely performed,” said Siegel, noting that the Taylor Company will perform “Klezmerbluegrass” in all 50 states over the next 18 months. “Visibility-wise, this was a unique opportunity.”
Set to music by Margot Leverett, “Klezmerbluegrass” is being played live at New York’s City Center by her band, The Klezmer Mountain Boys. The composition takes its cues from Leverett’s lyric melding of the shtetl with Appalachia. Dancers form circles, grapevines and break from the group into whirlwind solos. Audience members should have no trouble recognizing the hora and kazatzka juxtaposed with references to American square dancing.
Intended to be upbeat and optimistic, the dance, which has already premiered in other American cities, has received generally favorable reviews, including one that called it “a delightful, surprising Jewish hoedown.” Some critics, however, noted that the dance falls short of the vibrancy and complexity of movement that defines Taylor’s signature work.
In a telephone interview, Taylor, unfailingly polite and with the hint of a Southern accent, observes that while he’s used Jewish music before in his dances, the commission led him into a particularly intensive exploration of klezmer.
“The dance is meant to be a celebration, but a lot of the music I listened to didn’t sound so happy,” he said. “But then I came across Margot’s music and it was so very expressive and exciting … it was so very perfect for dancing.”
For Leverett, who has always loved playing for dancers at Jewish weddings, the collaboration with Taylor “has proved beyond my wildest dreams. He’s made my music visual and so it becomes even more poignant, personal and full of emotion,” she said.
Aside from the music, merely living in New York City proved to be sufficient inspiration for Taylor to create the movement for “Klezmerbluegrass.” Growing up in the area around Washington D.C., Taylor, who spent part of his childhood on a farm and “didn’t know what was Jewish and what wasn’t.” Living in New York has broadened his horizons. “I’ve gotten to know so many Jewish people over the years, many who have donated to or worked for my company,” he said. “I have a lot of gratitude for this.”
Initially, Leverett, like Taylor, approached klezmer as an outsider. A classically trained clarinetist, she had auditioned for the Klezmatics in 1985 and found herself smitten with music “that comes from the heart. For me, classical music was like being in a straitjacket and the avant-garde music I also played came from the head. I needed even more freedom,” she recalled.
Equally drawn to fiddle and American mountain music, Leverett began to experiment on her clarinet and collaborate with like-minded musicians. At the end of 2001, “we had our first klezmer-bluegrass jam session and it was like trying on clothes,” she said. “Some tunes just fit and others felt like you had on a skirt that made you look fat.”
As she delved into her hybrid calling, Leverett discovered a number of similarities between klezmer and bluegrass. “I had collected a bunch of tunes from isolated Jewish villages in the Carpathian Mountains as well as music from southern U.S. rural areas and the people from both these regions led desperately hard lives, whether from pogroms or poverty,” she said. “Both the Jews and the Southerners left their rural homes for the cities and their music is full of homesick and longing. Both have a deep soul mixed with sadness and joy.”
Both Taylor and Leverett say that the collaboration on “Klezmerbluegrass” has inspired them to consider new, related projects. Leverett would love to work with other choreographers, while for Taylor, “there are so many dances that have been done on the Jewish experience but there’s so many more that could be done.”
After 50 years of creating dances, Taylor has no intention of altering his schedule. When asked about the secret to his success, he mentions the not-so-secret factors like luck, drive, discipline and passion. “I’ve learned not to count on inspiration,” he said. “I’m like a writer, where I have deadlines and just have to get up and work every day.”
Taylor did not dance until college. An avid swimmer, he majored in painting at Syracuse University and by his junior year “became discouraged. A lot of little things started happening at the same time,” he said. “I started reading about dance history. I learned about Martha Graham. I saw a ballet performance and knew I didn’t want to be a ballet dancer. Finally, I just packed up and moved to New York.”
Taylor studied at Juilliard and by 1954, formed his own company. Around the same time, he began starring as a soloist in Martha Graham’s dance company and word spread about the athletic dancer who had his own unique way of moving. A half-century later, Taylor’s company has performed in more than 450 cities and over 60 countries.
Still, Taylor admits that there are some days in rehearsals when “I can’t think of the next step. With a bunch of people standing around waiting for you to tell them what to do, sometimes you just got to fake it,” he said with a chuckle. “I can’t afford writers’ block.”
The Paul Taylor Dance Company performs Apr. 2 – 10 at Yerba Buena Center for The Performing Arts, 701 Mission St., San Francisco. For more information, call (415) 978-2787.