Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharpis an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966, she formed her own company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often utilizes classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDancer
Date of Birth1 July 1941
CityPortland, IN
CountryUnited States of America
direct
Let me put it this way: I would like to direct a successful film. An unsuccessful film I would not like to direct. Films are very difficult.
change constantly people time
Things change all the time, so why do people make such a philosophical to-do that things are constantly in transition?
music
We don't need to illustrate music; music illustrates itself.
physically
Who a dancer is physically feeds into character for me. Always has.
My own physicality, not an abstract idea, makes me a choreographer.
drives next open piece point success ultimate
The ultimate point of a piece for me is that it drives the next one. Does it open new doors? That's the success of a piece.
bad
These days, I think we could all agree that having a just-friend is not a bad thing.
You either entertain an audience or you don't.
ask dancers examine good hard realize worked
I realize that dancers have worked long and hard for standards. However, on occasion, I think that it's good to examine one's heart and ask why are we dancing.
dream morning students wake
I always tell students that you've got to be practical. You do not need a dream. You need a purpose, something you can wake up to in the morning when the dream is dissipated.
audience believed evening feeling goes needs understand
I've always believed that a dance evening energizes an audience, that an audience goes out feeling chemically stronger and more optimistic. This is what I understand about dance. And this is an important thing. We need this. Our culture needs it.
arguably body developed early gift grew less melodic schubert travel work
Schubert had arguably the same melodic gift as Mozart, but even less support. He didn't have the early exposure, never got to travel anywhere, and yet generated and amassed a body of work that grew and developed and is very profound.
dancing laws learned learning matter people seriously theater
When I started thinking seriously about learning the rules of narrative, I thought, 'You've learned the rules of dancing from the ballet; what's the matter with learning the laws of theater from the people who know how to do it?'
impulses logic needs people piece prompt unable
'Bum's Rush' is a piece about timing, and everything that's in the piece needs to be with the piece. If people are missing, or marking, or unable to use their voices, the impulses that prompt the action are lost, and its logic crumbles.