Twyla Tharp facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Twyla Tharp
Tharp in 2004
Born	(1941-07-01) July 1, 1941 (age 84) Portland, Indiana, U.S.
Alma mater	Pomona College Barnard College
Occupation	Choreographer dancer
Years active	1960s–present
Awards	Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography, 2003 Movin' Out Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography 1985 Baryshnikov by Tharp with American Ballet Theatre Tony Award for Best Choreography, 2003 Movin' Out

Twyla Tharp (born July 1, 1941) is a famous American dancer, choreographer, and author. She lives and works in New York City. In 1965, she started her own dance company called Twyla Tharp Dance. This company later joined with the American Ballet Theatre in 1988. She started her company again in 1991. Her dance works often use different kinds of music, like classical, jazz, and popular songs.

From 1971 to 1988, Twyla Tharp Dance traveled all over the world. They performed many new and original dances. In 1973, Tharp created a dance called Deuce Coupe for the Joffrey Ballet. This dance used music by The Beach Boys. Deuce Coupe is known as the first "crossover ballet." This means it mixed ballet with modern dance styles. Later, she choreographed Push Comes to Shove (1976). This dance featured the famous dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. It is now seen as a great example of crossover ballet.

Twyla Tharp has received many honors for her work. On May 24, 2018, Harvard University gave her an honorary Doctor of Arts degree.

Early Life and Education

Twyla Tharp was born in 1941 on a farm in Portland, Indiana. Her parents were William and Lecile Tharp. She was named after Twila Thornburg, who was known as the "Pig Princess" at a local fair.

When she was a child, Tharp spent a few months each year with her Quaker grandparents. They lived on their farm in Indiana. She would go to Quaker church services three times a week.

Twyla's mother wanted her to learn many things. She made sure Twyla took lessons in dance, different musical instruments, and even languages like German and French. In 1950, Twyla's family moved to Rialto, California. Her parents ran car businesses there. They also opened a drive-in theater, where Twyla worked.

She went to Pacific High School in San Bernardino, California. She also studied dance at the Vera Lynn School of Dance. She learned ballet from Beatrice Collenette. Twyla loved to read books. She said her busy schedule left little time for friends. She first went to Pomona College. Then she moved to Barnard College and graduated in 1963 with a degree in art history. In New York City, she continued to study dance with famous teachers like Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. In 1963, Tharp joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company.

Amazing Dance Career

Creating New Dances

In 1965, Twyla Tharp created her very first dance, called Tank Dive. She also started her own dance group, Twyla Tharp Dance. Her dances often use classical music, jazz, and popular songs. From 1971 to 1988, her company traveled all over the world. They performed many original dance pieces.

In 1973, Tharp created Deuce Coupe for the Joffrey Ballet. This dance used music by The Beach Boys. It was special because it was the first "crossover ballet." This means it mixed ballet with modern dance. Later, she choreographed Push Comes to Shove (1976). This dance starred Mikhail Baryshnikov and is seen as a top example of crossover ballet.

In 1988, Twyla Tharp Dance joined with the American Ballet Theatre (ABT). Since then, ABT has performed 16 of Tharp's new works. By 2010, ABT had 20 of her dances in their collection. Tharp has also created dances for many other famous ballet companies. These include the Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, and New York City Ballet. She also created a dance show called Cutting Up (1992) with Mikhail Baryshnikov. This show toured 28 cities in just two months.

In 1995, Twyla Tharp held auditions around the world. She was looking for new dancers for a three-year touring project called Tharp!. During this time, she created more than six new dances for the group. These included Heroes (with music by Philip Glass) and Sweet Fields (using old Shaker hymns). In 1998, her piece Yamayá premiered. It featured music from the Buena Vista Social Club. After three years of touring, Tharp! ended in 1998. Many dancers from the group became very successful.

In 2000, Twyla Tharp Dance started again with all new dancers. This company also performed worldwide. With this group, Tharp developed the ideas for Movin' Out. This was a very successful Broadway musical. It used songs by Billy Joel and starred many of her dancers.

In 2012, Tharp created a full ballet called The Princess and the Goblin. It was based on George MacDonald's story. This was her first ballet to include children. It was performed by both the Atlanta Ballet and Royal Winnipeg Ballet.

Tharp was the first Artist in Residency (A.I.R.) at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. There, she created Waiting At The Station. This work had music by R&B artist Allen Toussaint.

Many famous fashion designers have created costumes for Twyla Tharp's dances. These include Oscar de la Renta, Calvin Klein, and Norma Kamali.

Broadway Shows

Tharp in 1981

In 1980, Twyla Tharp's work first appeared on Broadway. Her company performed When We Were Very Young. In 1981, she presented The Catherine Wheel. This was a collaboration with musician David Byrne. It was shown at the Winter Garden Theatre. The Catherine Wheel was also shown on PBS television.

In 1985, her staging of Singin' in the Rain played at the George Gershwin Theatre. It had 367 performances.

Tharp's dance musical Movin' Out premiered in Chicago in 2001. It used the music and lyrics of Billy Joel. The show opened on Broadway in 2002. Movin' Out ran for 1,331 performances on Broadway. A national tour started in January 2004. The show received 10 Tony nominations. Twyla Tharp won the Tony Award for Best Choreographer for it.

In 2005, Tharp opened a new show called The Times They Are a-Changin'. It used the music of Bob Dylan. It first played at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. This show broke records for ticket sales there. It also ran in New York.

In 2009, Tharp worked with the songs of Frank Sinatra for a show called Come Fly with Me. It played at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta. It was the best-selling show there for a four-week run. Renamed Come Fly Away, the show opened on Broadway in 2010. It ran for 188 performances. Come Fly Away was later changed and opened as Sinatra: Dance with Me in Las Vegas in 2011.

Film and Television Work

Twyla Tharp has worked on several movies. She collaborated with director Miloš Forman on Hair (1978), Ragtime (1980), and Amadeus (1983). She also worked with Taylor Hackford on White Nights (1985). And she worked with James Brooks on I'll Do Anything (1994).

Her television work includes choreographing Sue's Leg (1976). This was for the first episode of the PBS show Dance in America. She also helped produce and direct Making Television Dance (1977). This show won an award at the Chicago International Film Festival. Tharp also directed The Catherine Wheel (1983) for BBC Television. In 1984, she co-directed the award-winning TV special "Baryshnikov by Tharp."

As an Author

Twyla Tharp has written four books. Her first book was an autobiography called Push Comes to Shove (1992). An autobiography is a book about a person's own life.

She also wrote The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life (2003). This book has been translated into many languages. Another book is The Collaborative Habit (2009). Her most recent book is Keep It Moving (2019).

Works Chronology

Collaborative Work

• Brahms/Handel with Jerome Robbins 6/7/84

Filmography

• Hair 3/12/78
• Ragtime 1980
• Amadeus 9/19/84
• White Nights 12/6/85
• I'll Do Anything 1994

Video

• Scrapbook Tape 10/25/82
• The Catherine Wheel 3/1/83
• Baryshnikov by Tharp / Push Comes to Shove 10/5/84
• Twyla Tharp: Oppositions 4/24/96

Television

• The Bix Pieces (series of productions) 1973
• Making Television Dance 10/4/77
• Dance Is A Man's Sport Too 1980
• Confessions of a Cornermaker 10/13/81
• Catherine Wheel, PBS 3/1/83
• "The Golden Section" from Dance in America: Miami City Ballet 10/28/11

Books Written by Twyla Tharp

• Tharp, Twyla (December 1992), Push Comes to Shove, Bantam Books, ISBN: 0553073060
• Tharp, Twyla (September 29, 2003), The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life, Simon & Schuster, ISBN: 9780743235266
• Tharp, Twyla (November 24, 2009), The Collaborative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life, Simon & Schuster, ISBN: 9781416576518
• Tharp, Twyla (October 29, 2019), Keep It Moving: Lessons for the Rest of Your Life, Simon & Schuster, ISBN: 9781982101305

Awards and Honors

Twyla Tharp has received many important awards. She has won two Emmy Awards. She has also been given 19 honorary doctorates from different universities. She received the 2004 National Medal of Arts. This is a very high honor for artists in the United States. She also received a MacArthur Fellowship. This is a special award given to talented people in various fields.

She is a member of important groups like the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is also an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

In 1982, her college, Barnard College, gave her their highest honor. This was the Barnard Medal of Distinction.

She won the Tony Award for Best Choreography for her musical Movin' Out. She also won the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography for the same show. She was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for her choreography in Singin' in the Rain.

Tharp was named a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2008. This is one of the highest honors for performing artists in the U.S. In 1993, she was inducted into the Academy of Achievement.

From 2013 to 2014, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery featured Twyla Tharp. They showed her as a pioneer of American modern dance in their "Dancing the Dream" exhibition.

On May 24, 2018, Harvard University awarded her the Doctor of Arts degree.

Personal Life

Twyla Tharp was married to painter Robert Huot until 1972. They have a son named Jesse Huot. Jesse now works as her business manager. Twyla Tharp also has a grandson.

See also

In Spanish: Twyla Tharp para niños

• List of dancers