Twyla Tharp facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Twyla Tharp
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Tharp in 2004
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| Born | July 1, 1941 Portland, Indiana, U.S.
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| 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 an 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 American Ballet Theatre in 1988. She started her company again in 1991. Her dances often use classical music, jazz, and popular modern music.
From 1971 to 1988, Twyla Tharp Dance traveled all over the world. They performed many new and original dance pieces. 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 created Push Comes to Shove (1976). This dance featured the famous dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov. It is now seen as a great example of crossover ballet.
In 2018, Harvard University gave Twyla Tharp an honorary Doctor of Arts degree. This is a special award for her achievements.
Contents
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 a "Pig Princess" from a local fair.
As a child, Twyla spent part of each year with her Quaker grandparents in Indiana. She went to Quaker church services three times a week.
Twyla's mother made sure she took many lessons. These included dance, various musical instruments, shorthand, German, and French. In 1950, her 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 and said her busy schedule left little time for friends. She first went to Pomona College. Later, 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. In 1963, Tharp joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company.
Career in Dance
Dances and Ballets
In 1965, Twyla Tharp created her first dance, Tank Dive. She then started her own dance group, Twyla Tharp Dance. Her dances often use different kinds of music. These include classical, jazz, and modern pop songs. From 1971 to 1988, her company traveled worldwide. They performed many of her original dance pieces.
In 1973, Tharp choreographed Deuce Coupe for the Joffrey Ballet. This dance used music by The Beach Boys. It was seen as the first "crossover ballet." This means it blended ballet with modern dance. Later, she created Push Comes to Shove (1976). This dance starred Mikhail Baryshnikov. It is now considered a top example of crossover ballet.
In 1988, Twyla Tharp Dance joined with 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 and New York City Ballet. She also made a dance show called Cutting Up (1992) with Baryshnikov. This show toured 28 cities in two months.
In 2000, Twyla Tharp Dance started again with new dancers. This group also performed around the world. With them, Tharp created the ideas for Movin' Out. This was a Broadway musical that won many awards. It used songs by Billy Joel and featured many of her dancers.
In 2012, Tharp created a full ballet called The Princess and the Goblin. It was based on a story by George MacDonald. 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. During this time, she created Waiting At The Station. This dance had music by R&B artist Allen Toussaint.
Many famous fashion designers have created costumes for Tharp's dances. These include Oscar de la Renta and Calvin Klein.
Broadway Shows
In 1980, Twyla Tharp's work first appeared on Broadway. Her company performed When We Were Very Young. In 1981, she created The Catherine Wheel with musician David Byrne. This show was even shown on PBS television.
In 1985, her staging of Singin' in the Rain played on Broadway for 367 shows.
Tharp's dance musical Movin' Out opened in Chicago in 2001. It used music and lyrics by Billy Joel. The show came to Broadway in 2002. Movin' Out ran for 1,331 performances on Broadway. It was nominated for 10 Tony Awards. Tharp won the Tony Award for Best Choreographer.
In 2005, Tharp opened a new show called The Times They Are a-Changin'. This show used the music of Bob Dylan. It broke records for ticket sales in San Diego. After its run in California, it played in New York.
In 2009, Tharp used songs by Frank Sinatra for her show Come Fly with Me. This show was very popular in Atlanta. It was later renamed Come Fly Away and opened on Broadway in 2010.
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 on White Nights (1985) and I'll Do Anything (1994).
For television, she choreographed Sue's Leg (1976) for the first episode of Dance in America. She also co-produced and directed Making Television Dance (1977), which won an award. Tharp also co-directed the award-winning TV special "Baryshnikov by Tharp" in 1984.
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. It talks about how to be creative. She also wrote The Collaborative Habit (2009) and Keep It Moving (2019). Tharp has said that The Creative Habit teaches about finding order from chaos.
Honors and Awards
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 grant given to talented people.
She is a member of important groups like the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 1982, her college, Barnard College, gave her its highest honor, the Barnard Medal of Distinction.
Tharp 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.
In 2008, Tharp was named a Kennedy Center Honoree. This award celebrates artists for their lifetime contributions to American culture. In 1993, she was inducted into the Academy of Achievement.
From 2013 to 2014, the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery featured Tharp in an exhibition. It was called "Dancing the Dream" and showed her as a leader in American modern dance.
On May 24, 2018, Harvard University gave her a 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
Images for kids
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Tharp in 1981
