Paul Taylor Dance Company Receives Inaugural Arnhold Dance Education Award
We are thrilled to announce Paul Taylor Dance Company as the recipient of the inaugural Arnhold Dance Education Award!
The Arnhold Dance Education Award, presented by Jody Gottfried Arnhold and the Arnhold Foundation, was designed to honor an individual or institution whose work has made extraordinary contributions to dance education.
The award will be presented on April 25th as part of our 30th anniversary celebration at 92NY. We hope you’ll join us.
Photo courtesy of Paul Taylor Dance Company
We asked Artistic Director Michael Novak about the company’s work, their programs, and what this recognition means to them.
Photo of Michael Novak by Travis Caperton
Photo of Michael Novak by Whitney Browne
What does it mean to Paul Taylor Dance Company to be recognized for your extraordinary contributions to dance education?
We continue to be inspired by the whole DEL family—the amazing individuals who sustain their work and their incredible programming for dance education for every child. To be honored by Jody Gottfried Arnhold and the DEL team in celebration of this milestone anniversary means so much to all of us.
We deeply believe that dance education must have a role in every facet of our operations. We galvanize Board members and patrons with insights on our history and the secrets of creation; support students of every age, from Taylor Tots to our Taylor Teen Ensemble; relish alumni coaching our current Company of dancers; bring the archives alive with access to Paul Taylor’s notebooks and memoirs; and create access for NYC public school students to come to Lincoln Center at a scale rare for our art form. It is meaningful and vital work that we care passionately about.
Photos courtesy of Paul Taylor Dance Company
At the 92NY Dance Education Laboratory (DEL), we believe that dance can be a powerful pathway for learning, creativity, and expression for students of all ages.
How does Paul Taylor Dance Company approach sharing the artistry and movement principles of the Taylor repertory with students and educators through its education programs?
At the Taylor Center for Dance Education, we believe that dance is a vehicle for everybody. Whether we experience dance as a viewer or as an active participant (or even a reluctant participant at times), our belief is that dance—in all its many iterations—offers us all a means to reveal who we are, share where we come from, connect with how we’re feeling, and come together as a community of individuals for a common purpose.
But modern dance comes from a special place because it is centered on a very important value: freedom. Our founder, Paul Taylor, believed that modern dance was special because it gave each individual the freedom to choose their own way of dancing, to think differently, and to celebrate what makes them unique. And with that belief, he created 147 dances that showcase the beauty and complexity of individuals, and, in effect, the human condition as a whole.
That freedom to celebrate what it means to be human drives every aspect of our educational offerings.
Photos courtesy of Paul Taylor Dance Company
As part of the Company’s New York season at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Arnhold-supported Arnhold Tier 3 initiative introduces tens of thousands of students and families to the live performance experience.
Can you share how the Arnhold Tier 3 program connects students/families to the performance at Lincoln Center and what you hope they gain from encountering Paul Taylor’s work in the theater?
The Jody and John Arnhold Tier 3 Dance Education & Audience Development Initiative is our largest and most impactful educational program that provides FREE access for students in the NYC public school system to learn, experience, and embody the magic of modern dance.
Over the past ten years, we have partnered with certified dance instructors and over 200 different schools, reaching approximately 40,000 students, their families, and caregivers. For many of these students, this is their first time in a theater and their first time seeing dance. I hope people who experience Arnhold Tier 3 leave in awe of the great dancers and great works of art. But, more importantly, I hope they leave feeling like the theater is a place where they belong.
One of the greatest assets we have in accomplishing this is Paul Taylor’s repertory. Within his dances, audiences of all ages can find parts of themselves. Humor, love, loss, isolation, resilience, fear, community, and uninhibited joy can all be synthesized into one single experience that illuminates that dancing reflects life.
Photos courtesy of Paul Taylor Dance Company
DEL has spent the past 30 years supporting dance teachers as leaders in schools and communities. How does Paul Taylor Dance Company think about supporting educators who are introducing students to modern dance for the first time?
Here at Taylor, we are focused on both the inherent multicultural and the interdisciplinary aspects of our art form. We believe that students and educators can experience modern dance through the lens of sociology, science, literature, history, poetry, visual art, music, and politics. This approach means in-depth study guide materials, written to give educators as many entry points for their students as possible.
We also believe that educators know their students better than anyone, so listening to their embodied wisdom informs a great deal of our programming. One of the most transformative steps in our Arnhold Tier 3 program was when we heard from our educators that our impact is amplified when a student is allowed to bring a family member or caregiver with them to the theater. Yes, creating a transformative moment for a student is great. But that student sharing in that experience with someone close to them? The opportunity for that student to go home with someone who was there and understands? That is when we inspire more conversations, more creativity, more resilience, and more empathy.
Please join us in celebrating Paul Taylor Dance Company and this recognition at our 30th anniversary celebration!
In addition to the award presentation, the evening will also include:
- The world premiere of a new work created by participants in a DEL Movement Sentence Choir, led by renowned choreographer Ephrat Asherie and DEL Facilitator Taryn Vander Hoop
- Performances, reflections, and appearances by DEL’s visionary leaders, faculty, and esteemed guests, including educators, dance companies, and community leaders.
92NY DEL at 30:
Celebrating Three Decades
of Transforming Dance Education
📅 April 25 at 5:00PM
📍 92NY – Kaufmann Concert Hall
🎟️ $30