PAUL TAYLOR DANCE COMPANY

The Paul Taylor Dance Company’s vibrant energy filled the David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center during its second night of month long performances.

Scudamora, Taylor’s 1963 creation, showed off his early experimentation with themes and technique that resonate in his later work. The curtain opens to a background projection of clouds (Alex Katz), with bodies lying limp on the floor, covered in white, perhaps a landscape of clouds on the earth? A lone male figure in a tailored suit (originally performed by Taylor), wanders through to foreboding music by Clarence Jackson.

Dancers eventually drag themselves off stage on their bellies, and the male figure exits, discarding his jacket. A luscious duet between Devon Louis in earthy brown and Kristin Draucker in bright red evokes the danger and passion of connection. The dance ends with the returning group congregating in the middle, this time covered by blankets with rainbow designs. Somewhat incoherent and peculiar, it felt like Taylor was struggling to find his voice here.

Taylor’s Troilus & Cressida (reduced)  from 2006, shifts to a delightful comedy based on Shakespeare’s Greek tragedy. Santo Loquasto’s ornate set design and costuming helps tell the love story between the two, orchestrated by three adorable female cupids in pink with cute little baby wings on their backs–who flit, commiserate, and manipulate the lovers, persuading them to engage in the early stages of falling in love, as soldiers enter to disrupt the affair. Amilcare Ponchielli’s Dance of the Hours provides Taylor the opportunity to create light, musical unison steps for the dancers, entertaining with hilarious romps and gags.

Robert Battle, former Artistic Director of the Alvin Ailey Company, is now resident choreographer at Taylor. A short, but powerful solo, Takademe (1999), originally choreographed for the David Parson’s company, is danced impeccably by Devon Louis. Alone on stage in front of a black background, bare chested, in red pants (redesigned by Jon Taylor), he starts and stops, twists and turns, to a sound track of vocalized Kathak rhythms and breath sounds, which provide the structure for his percussive footwork, undulating torso, head shakes, and quick arm circles. It ends with an abrupt jump in the air and fall to the floor, a collapse of pure energy and motion.

A welcome ending to the show, Esplanade, Taylor’s 1975 masterpiece, presented the company at its finest. It is a dance in five sections, to Bach’s violin concerto in E Major, and Double Concerto for two violins in D Minor (Largo and Allegro). Dancers wearing peachy/orange and beige dresses and trousers, walk shifting forward, back, side to side in various formalized lines, developing into breathtaking grounded runs, circling, straight line entrances and exits on diagonals. A more somber and darkly lit Section two follows: slow, rising and falling shapes, sad and longing, end with all crawling on towards a central figure. Everyone tries to stay together through anguish.

Exuberant runs and sautés fold into warm, embracing couples, rising and kneeling in reverence of each other to a gentle violin, expressing grace and companionship. A beautiful solo by Lisa Borres Casey highlights feelings of freedom and abandon.

Taylor ends this work with risky, challenging runs into slides, falling, and rolling phrases… a cascade of joyous, seemingly weightless bodies, falling into gravity but rising and continuing. Perhaps this was Taylor’s wish for us all.

EYE ON THE ARTS, NY — Mary Seidman