Tharp, Twyla (1941–)
Tharp, Twyla (1941–)
American choreographer and director. Born July 1, 1941, in Portland, Indiana; m. Bob Huot (painter, div.); children: 1 son.
Pioneering ballet and modern-dance choreographer, studied at Barnard College and then with Igor Schwezoff, Richard Thomas, Barbara Fallis, Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham and Eugene Lewis; debuted with Paul Taylor company (1963); headed Twyla Tharp Dance Group (1964–88); became known for innovative use of space, technical brilliance, and the combining of classical ballet with modern dance forms; disbanded company and became artistic associate at American Ballet Theatre (1988); choreographed the film Hair (1979), as well as Ragtime (1981), Amadeus (1984), White Nights (1985), and The Catherine Wheel (1992); received 2 Emmys for "Baryshnikov by Tharp" (1985); received Tony Award for Best Choreographer and Tony nomination for Best Director for Movin' Out (2003); other choreographic works include The Fugue (1970), Deuce Coupe (1973), As Time Goes By (1973), When We Were Very Young (1980), Sinatra Suite (1984), Cutting Up (1991), The Beethoven Sonata (2000), Brief Fling and In the Upper Room. Received Barnard College Medal of Distinction (1982) and MacArthur Fellowship (1992).
See also autobiography, Push Comes to Shove (1992).