Exhilarating and joyous! This video shows the last movement of Paul Taylors’ ballet, Esplanade. The music is J.S. Bach, and this section is the Concerto for 2 violins, strings and continuo in D minor, Allegro. It is danced by members of the Paul Taylor Dance Company. This piece is considered to be a classic of American dance.
In this piece we see no “schooled” dance language. It was created in a time when artists like Jasper Johns were exploring “found objects” to make art, and Paul Taylor experimented with everyday “found movements” to create dance. He based this work on the pedestrian movement of walking, running, sliding and falling after he was inspired by seeing a girl running to catch a bus.
This movement exhibits classic elements of modern and contemporary dance; movement, speed and risk. This piece is sheer energy in motion where dancers run, slide and fall at top speed. The choreography is very musical and to me Paul Taylor has created a music visualization depicting the vigor and lightness of Bach in movement and spatial patterns. Like the music the dance has tremendous drive, is uplifting, fun and fearless.
This piece was choreographed in 1975 and to me is still relevant today. It is a wonderful piece from which I continue to derive great pleasure.
I hope you enjoy it too!
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