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
figures guiding modern people spend
When I look at the people who are the guiding figures in modern dance, I think, 'This does not look to me like the way I want to spend my days.'
dance wall thinking
A lot of people insisted on a wall between modern dance and ballet. I'm beginning to think that walls are very unhealthy things.
care english enjoy
I don't hate language. I have my own language, but I also enjoy the English language. Obviously, you don't read a lot of literature and not care about language.
terrifying
Nothing is more terrifying to me, really, than the status quo. I'll make mistakes before I keep doing something the same way.
I do at least 75 push-ups a day.
courage
What we want from modern dance is courage and audacity.
art dancing meaning serious toe
When I was a kid, toe dancing and toe shoes had a meaning in our culture as a serious kind of art.
best creativity good result work
Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is the result of good work habits.
ballet came classes dancers great maybe study took
At the ballet classes I took when I first came to New York, I would see great dancers like Cynthia Gregory and Lupe Serrano. I would look at them and study what they could do, and what I couldn't do. And then I'd think maybe they should try what I could do.
morning people
People often say to me, 'I don't know anything about dance.' I say, 'Stop. You got up this morning, and you're walking. You are an expert.'
brush generate ideas pencil
You can only generate ideas when you put pencil to paper, brush to canvas... when you actually do something physical.
age
This is the strange thing: Dancers don't age.
represents
My dancers expect me to deliver because my choreography represents their livelihood.
best ditch
My father always said, 'I don't care if you're a ditch digger, as long as you're the best ditch digger in the world.'