Steamboat Pilot & Today

Vail — The Vail International Dance Festival, led by Artistic Director Damian Woetzel, reaches an important milestone this year as it celebrates its 25th anniversary with special programming and exciting events, including a world premiere by a living legend of modern dance, Paul Taylor. The Vail premiere will mark Taylor's 139th creation.

“My dancers and I look forward to performing in Vail, one of the country's most idyllic spots, and this summer I am especially eager to see the world premiere of my new dance in the beautiful environs of the Ford Amphitheater,” said Taylor.

Now 82 years old, Taylor has been creating work encompassing a wide range of topics and movement styles for the past 55 years on rousing subjects ranging from war to sexuality. He has been awarded nearly every honor known to the artistic world, including an Emmy, Speaking in Tongues, the National Medal of the Arts and the Kennedy Center Honors.

The Paul Taylor Dance Company will present the world premiere on Aug. 5 as part of the NOW: Premieres program. Unique to Vail, the evening brings a selection of today's most innovative and renowned choreographers together on one stage, and is hosted by festival Director Damian Woetzel. In addition to Taylor's world premiere, the performance will include new works by Larry Keigwin, Brian Brooks, Charles “Lil Buck” Riley and others to be announced.

“NOW: Premieres reflects the ongoing commitment of the Festival to the creation of new dance works,” said Woetzel. “Over the last 25 years, we have premiered dances in Vail by a wide variety of choreographers and this year we are honored to present a new work by Paul Taylor, whose dances have affected generations of audiences, and who is among history's most powerful poets in any art form.”

Read the full story at the Vail Daily's website.