Twyla Tharp

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Lore & Background

Twyla Tharp was born in 1941 on a farm in Portland, Indiana, the daughter of William Tharp and Lecile (Confer) Tharp. She was named for Twila Thornburg, the "Pig Princess" of the 89th Annual Muncie Fair. As a child, Tharp spent a few months each year living with her Quaker grandparents on their farm in Indiana. Her mother insisted she take lessons in dance, various musical instruments, shorthand, German and French. In 1950, Tharp's family moved to Rialto, California, where her parents operated Tharp Motors and Tharp Autos and a drive-in theater. She attended Pacific High School, studied at the Vera Lynn School of Dance, and studied ballet with Beatrice Collenette. She attended Pomona College but transferred to Barnard College after being caught making out with her boyfriend and threatened with expulsion. She graduated from Barnard with a degree in art history in 1963. In New York City, she studied with Richard Thomas, Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham. In 1963, Tharp joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company. In 1965, Tharp choreographed her first dance, *Tank Dive*, and formed her own company, Twyla Tharp Dance. From 1971 to 1988, Twyla Tharp Dance toured extensively around the world, performing original works. In 1973, she choreographed *Deuce Coupe* for the Joffrey Ballet, considered the first crossover ballet. In 1976, she choreographed *Push Comes to Shove* for American Ballet Theatre and Mikhail Baryshnikov, described as a groundbreaking crossover ballet. In 1988, Twyla Tharp Dance merged with American Ballet Theatre. In 1995, Tharp held auditions globally to form the three-year touring project *Tharp!* In 2000, Twyla Tharp Dance regrouped with entirely new dancers, developing material that became *Movin' Out*, an award-winning Broadway musical. In 2012, Tharp created the full-length ballet *The Princess and the Goblin*, her first ballet to include children. She was the first Artist in Residency at Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Reader's Guide

Twyla Tharp's significance lies in her role as a pioneer of crossover ballet, blending classical ballet with modern dance and popular music. Her 1973 work *Deuce Coupe*, set to The Beach Boys, is considered the first crossover ballet, and *Push Comes to Shove* (1976) is now thought to be the best example of the genre. Her company merged with American Ballet Theatre in 1988, and she regrouped it in 1991. She has choreographed for numerous major ballet companies including Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, and Boston Ballet. On Broadway, her show *Movin' Out* ran for 1,331 performances and won her a Tony for Best Choreographer. She has collaborated with film directors Miloš Forman on *Hair* (1978), *Ragtime* (1980) and *Amadeus* (1983); Taylor Hackford on *White Nights* (1985); and James Brooks on *I'll Do Anything* (1994). Tharp has written four books, including *The Creative Habit* (2003) translated into multiple languages. On May 24, 2018, Tharp was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree by Harvard University. She has received two Emmy Awards, 19 honorary doctorates, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts, and a MacArthur Fellowship.

Did You Know?

• Tharp was named for Twila Thornburg, the 'Pig Princess' of the 89th Annual Muncie Fair.
• She transferred from Pomona College to Barnard College after being caught making out with her boyfriend and threatened with expulsion.
• Her 1973 work *Deuce Coupe* for the Joffrey Ballet is considered the first 'crossover ballet.'
• Tharp's Broadway show *Movin' Out* ran for 1,331 performances and won her a Tony for Best Choreographer.
• She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree by Harvard University on May 24, 2018.