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
optimistic optimism experience
Optimism with some experience behind it is much more energizing than plain old experience with a certain degree of cynicism.
dance moving thinking
I would have to challenge the term, modern dance. I don't really use that term in relation to my work. I simply think of it as dancing. I think of it as moving.
humor ifs
Doing is better than not doing, and if you do something badly you'll learn to do it better.
inspirational ideas air
I'm often asked, 'Where do you get your ideas?' ...It's like asking, 'Where do you find air to breathe?' Ideas are all around you.
inspirational creativity thinking
There's a paradox in the notion that creativity should be a habit. We think of creativity as a way of keeping everything fresh and new, while habit implies routine and repetition. That paradox intrigues me because it occupies the place where creativity and skill rub up against each other.
sports baseball play
The content and thematic materials of dance is, of itself, like boxing. You play tennis and baseball. But boxing is not a sport you play: you stand up and do it.
creativity nuts innovation
The only thing I fear more than change is no change. The business of being static makes me nuts.
dance dream becoming-the-best
I also had a will that let me eliminate everything that stood in the way of my becoming the best dancer I could be. By a gradual process... (I) had invested every bit of my dreams, my hopes, my energies in defining myself as a dancer.
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.
life-and-love moving life-is
Life is about moving, it’s about change. And when things stop doing that they’re dead.
thinking luxury privileged
I think that anyone who's pushed to do the very best that they can is privileged. It's a luxury.
art investigation art-is
Art is an investigation.
creativity world ruts
More often than not I've found, a rut is a consequence of sticking to tried and tested methods that don't take into account how you or the world has changed.
art bridges skills
If art is the bridge between what you see in your mind and what the world sees, then skill is how you build that bridge.