American Dance Festival: Paul Taylor Dance Company July 20, 2012

In a program slated with classics, the Paul Taylor Dance Company will present one of his most famous works, Aureole, originally commissioned by the ADF and now celebrating its 50th anniversary. Set to baroque music by George Handel, Mr. Taylor shows the timelessness of his romantic and stunning choreography. His 1970 work Big Bertha, not seen at the ADF since 1979, follows a happily married couple and their daughter through their visit to an amusement park. Yet, as with many Taylor's works, beyond the surface level of this comedy lies a hair-raising exploration of life's deepest tragedies. The company will also perform Gossamer Gallants (2011), a hilarious glimpse into the mating rituals of insects, and Piazzolla Caldera (1997), a sizzling view of the social identities and attitudes found in the passionate tango.