For the second time this season, I was granted the privilege to see the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Once again, I was blown away by Mr. Taylor’s striking artistic visions, as well as the dancers’ abilities to portray them. One of the oldest pieces still being performed by the company, 3 Epitaphs, was a highlight of the night. Set to New Orleans jazz music, a group of faceless creatures dance across the stage. The piece pulls humor from simple, human, physical attributes to create a timeless piece. The dancers’ unique movements got a positive reaction from the audience, as Lincoln Center filled with laughs, even at 8 o’clock on a Wednesday night. The dancers’ ability to pull such a strong reaction out of the audience, without even having facial expressions to guide them showed how strongly the dancers were able to tap into the style of the movement.

Another strong piece of the night was Last Look. This dark piece, brought forward strong feelings of self-loathing and inner pain or struggle. The stage, covered with mirrors, amplified the movement and at times made it difficult to tell where the dancer actually was and where it was just a reflection. The constant struggle was shown as the dancers fell to the ground (then recovered) throughout the piece. One dancer was thrown about the stage, portraying her lack of control over her own life. At times, a partnership between two dancers was attempted, however usually did not get to escalate to a new level before the dancers fell apart. The dancers’ struggles in Last Look made this a touching piece filled with raw emotion. The night’s program also included Junction, a wonderful piece that exemplifies key steps of the Taylor technique, as well as Beloved Renegade, a piece with many beautiful moments and a touching message behind the dancing.

Paul Taylor Dance Company will be performing at the David Koch Theater through March 24th.