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
later-in-life issues interesting
Later in life, one of the compensations is gliding effortlessly into focus in a thing. Since it is who we are, anything that is not the focus or supportive thereof is just not us. Even outside issues, when they arise, are interesting in that they only help define the focus more clearly.
issues feelings want
I work because I have issues and questions and feelings and thoughts that I want to have a look at. I'm not in need of, or wanting, particularly, to know what other folk are up to.
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.
art best constant element include love perhaps speaking
If you're speaking of love, you really must include the element of uncertainty - and perhaps it's best approached as the art of constant maintenance.
side
When I was a kid, the avant-garde to me was boring because it was just the flip side of being really successful.
deformed element harder hours nobody popular portrait quill spent time worked
Nobody worked harder than Mozart. By the time he was twenty-eight years old, his hands were deformed because of all the hours he had spent practicing, performing, and gripping a quill pen to compose. That's the missing element in the popular portrait of Mozart.
I am still pushing the edge of what my body can do.
alone basically obviously solitary survive surviving work
'The Creative Habit' is basically about how you work alone, how you survive as a solitary artist. 'The Collaborative Habit' is obviously about surviving with other people.
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.'
represents
My dancers expect me to deliver because my choreography represents their livelihood.
age
This is the strange thing: Dancers don't age.
brush generate ideas pencil
You can only generate ideas when you put pencil to paper, brush to canvas... when you actually do something physical.
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.'
art
Dance is the most fundamental of all art forms.