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
nice kissing destiny
Destiny, quite often, is a determined parent. Mozart was hardly some naive prodigy who sat down at the keyboard and, with God whispering in his ears, let music flow from his fingertips. It's a nice image for selling tickets to movies, but whether or not God has kissed your brow, you still have to work. Without learning and preparation, you won't know how to harness the power of that kiss.
fall good-luck destiny
I cannot overstate how much a generous spirit contributes to good luck. Look at the luckiest people around you, the ones you envy, the ones who seem to have destiny falling habitually into their laps. If they're anything like the fortunate people I know, they're prepared, they're always working at their craft, they're alert, they involve their friends in their work, and they tend to make others feel lucky to be around them.
bob listened recordings
As is my wont, I did my research. I listened to all the recordings and I read everything about Bob I could find.
dance stupid thinking
It is extremely arrogant and very foolish to think that you can ever outwit your audience.
dream upside-down turns
In dreams, anything can be anything, and everybody can do. We can fly, we can turn upside down, we can transform into anything.
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.
courage
What we want from modern dance is courage and audacity.
I do at least 75 push-ups a day.
terrifying
Nothing is more terrifying to me, really, than the status quo. I'll make mistakes before I keep doing something the same way.
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.
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.'
clear dancers forget image strong technique themselves willing
I look for dancers who have all the technique in the world. But they must be dancers who are open-minded, who are willing to forget that they know anything. They also have to be gorgeous; they must have a clear image of themselves and strong personalities.
dance glue
I see dance as glue for a community.
dances radar sort time
When I started making dances in the '60s, narrative dance was sort of off the radar screen. What was important at the time in the avant-garde was minimalism.