Paul Taylor

Paul Taylor passed away at the age of 88 last week and I've been struggling to come up with words in response. Everything feels too small to describe this man, his work, and the role he played in my life.

Right out of college, I landed in a fundraising role at the New York Public Library completely by accident. I didn't know what nonprofits were or what development was and arrived for my first day on the job without fully understanding what my job would entail. It was a perfect fit. After remaining there for a few years, I realized that working for nonprofits was a way to merge my passions with my career. For most of my life, dance was at the top of that list. How amazing would it be to fundraise for a dance company!? 

Way back in college, I was introduced to Paul's choreography during a Company residency at Hamilton. We took a master class led by Amy Young and Rob Kleinendorst and I fell in love with the movement. So when a position in individual giving opened at Paul Taylor Dance Company, it seemed like the epitome of what I wanted. Though I had grown up wishing to be a professional dancer, this opportunity was a dream come true.

In my 4 years with the organization, I grew even more enamored with his work. I don't think there has or ever will be a more talented choreographer in the world. So often in dance, movement seems to respond to the music, but he had this uncanny ability to weave those two things together in a way that was truly singular. I will never hear the Brandenburg Concertos again without envisioning the swirl of green velvet skirts, the frenetic whirl of bodies, and brilliant patterns that swept across the stage. 

I have this pedestal of artists in my head - icons and heroes whose work has meant so much to me, whose art gives me tingles. W.S. Merwin is one. Paul Taylor was the other. It was an honor to be just a tiny part of his existence and to work on behalf of an artist that gave so much to this world.