An Evening of Twyla Tharp
April 5-7, 2024
Dorothy Jemison Day Theater
Artistic Director | Christopher Stuart
Associate Artistic Director & Resident Choreographer | Roger Van Fleteren
Production Manager | David Page
Production & Stage Manager | Joelle Tucker
Costume Director | Wendy Gamble
Technical Manager | MaK Eddins
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"BAKER'S DOZEN"™
Choreography by | Twyla Tharp ©Twyla Tharp
World Premiere on February 15, 1979, Premiered by Twyla Tharp Dance
Staged by | Reed Tankersley
Music by | Willie "The Lion" Smith
Piano Recorded by | Dick Hyman
Costumes Originally Designed by | Santo Loquasto
Costumes Courtesy of | Miami City Ballet
Lighting Originally By | Jennifer Tipton
"NINE SINATRA SONGS"™
Choreography by | Twyla Tharp ©Twyla Tharp
World Premiere on October 15, 1982, Premiered by Twyla Tharp Dance
Staged by | Matthew Stockwell Dibble
Music by | Frank Sinatra with appreciation to Sinatra Enterprises and the Frank Sinatra Foundation
Original Set Design by | Santo Loquasto
Original Costume Design by | Oscar de la Renta
Costumes Courtesy of | The Nevada Ballet Theatre, Roy Kaiser, Artistic Director
Lighting Originally By | Jennifer Tipton
Baker's Dozen
Much of the choreography in Baker’s Dozen was created for the Hollywood production of Hair, but was not included in the final edit. “I was thinking a lot about economy [after filming]. Nothing should be squandered or disregarded,” Tharp recounts in Confessions of a Cornermaker (1981). “As in nature, all things would be recycled and would accrue.” Rather than leave it on the cutting room floor, Tharp repurposed the movement and set it to compositions by Willie “The Lion” Smith – music she had been dancing to for nearly a decade.
Baker’s Dozen embodies this sense of economy and integration, which is closely tied to Tharp’s Indiana Quaker roots. The movement expresses harmony, playfulness and easy virtuosity. The structure is based on multiples of twelve: six duets, four trios, three quartets, two sextets, and finally twelve solos – reinforcing the Quaker values of the individual’s importance to the community.
Nine Sinatra Songs
Nine Sinatra Songs presents a glamorous portrait of seven couples that traces the arc of romantic relationships. The dancers swing, swirl, tango and cha-cha through a glittering ballroom.
It premiered on the same program as Bad Smells, meeting the gritty vision head on.
Nine Sinatra Songs is one of Tharp’s most frequently performed works and has become a mainstay in the repertories of professional dance companies worldwide.
© 2024 twyla tharp
