Students in Fredonia’s Dance program are literally “following the footsteps” of one of the leading forces in modern dance during the two-week residency by the Paul Taylor 2 Dance Company.
Highlights of the residency, which concludes Friday, Sept. 9, include observing multiple rehearsals of dance company performers, attending classroom sessions led by company members, engaging in warm-ups and viewing the film “Paul Taylor: Creative Domain,” a documentary of the seminal figure in modern dance history at work on a new piece. Some sessions of the residency are geared to Dance majors, others to non-majors. Many sessions are also open to community members, including the final event on Friday at 4:30 p.m. in the Merrins Dance Theatre in the new addition to the Rockefeller Arts Center.
Dance majors are also being given the unique opportunity to learn “Aureole,” one of the iconic works of Mr. Taylor. They’ll spend approximately 90 hours working directly with company dancers and the artistic director.
“As a director of Dance, I believe that bringing professional dance companies to campus not only serves our students, but also the Fredonia community, by exposing them to professional dance events outside of their current experiences,” said Helen Myers, who established Fredonia’s Dance program. “These residencies educate and enlarge the cultural experiences of the whole community.”
The residency by the touring and educational outreach division of the New York City-based Paul Taylor Dance Company, one of the nation’s long-standing professional dance companies, is occurring during the inaugural season of the new studio complex in Rockefeller Arts Center.
Paul Taylor 2 Dance Company has a long history with Fredonia, Ms. Myers said, and includes a residency in 2001. Taylor remains a force in modern dance, creating at least two new works per year for more than 50 years.
A second residency, by the Lehrer Dance Company, will be held at Fredonia during the spring semester.
