On a crisp winter evening, the Paul Taylor Dance Company brought a burst of irrepressible warmth to the Royal Opera House's Linbury Theatre, bounding through a repertoire of modern American classics with remarkable athleticism and style.
A Legacy of Athletic Choreography
Founded in 1954 by Paul Taylor, who passed away in 2018, this legacy company continues to honour one of the 20th-century's dance giants. Taylor, a former star performer with Martha Graham's company, crafted choreography that is boldly athletic, masterfully balancing large, confident energy with subtle experiments and darker undertones.
Opening with Classic Vitality
The evening commenced with Brandenburgs, created in 1988, serving as a perfect introduction to Taylor's work. Six men and three women sprinted through buoyant, lively steps set to a recording of Bach, curling into dynamic lines and groups. The dancers shared smiles as they whizzed past, infusing the piece with vitality and teasing musical details. Notably, each woman skipped forward, with the third embellishing the step with a spiky triple kick, highlighting the precision and flair of the ensemble.
New Commissions and Jazz Tributes
Alongside its core Taylor repertory, the company showcased new commissions, including Under the Rhythm by Robert Battle, leader of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. This piece paid tribute to jazz, featuring thirteen dancers in white shirts, black trousers, hats, ties, and spats. They dipped in and out of stomping footwork, with sharp handclaps evoking tap rhythms. Battle wove other rhythms into this zingy chorus line, such as spoken word, grounded solos set to spirituals, and a snappy vaudeville duet to Ella Fitzgerald's scatting, where Alex Clayton and Lee Duveneck raced gleefully to match her virtuosity.
Tango with an Edge
The sharpest dancing of the night emerged in Piazzolla Caldera, Taylor's 1997 tango dance. The dancers brought a sumptuous movement quality to the steps, paired with an edge of confrontation. The flirtation carried a competitive tone, filled with power games and unexpected emotional dynamics. In one duet, Devon Louis and Jada Pearman made a tiny unison shuffle feel more intimate than a dramatic leap, while male couple John Harnage and Alex Clayton observed before winding into the drama, culminating in a needy four-way tangle.
An Unpredictable Finale
Avoiding cliche, this tango number remained unpredictable, balanced on a knife-edge. Dancers swept into grand closing poses only to collapse to the floor and crawl into the wings. Jessica Ferretti stalked through the action, aloof yet central, delivering a searing finale to a fine, polished evening.
The Paul Taylor Dance Company continues its run at the Royal Opera House's Linbury Theatre until 31 January, offering audiences a chance to witness this athletic skip through modern American classics.
