Twyla Tharpe
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Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1966 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often uses classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music. From 1971 to 1988, Twyla Tharp Dance toured extensively around the world, performing original works. In 1973 Tharp choreographed ''
Deuce Coupe ''Deuce Coupe'' is a ballet by choreographer Twyla Tharp, set to music by the Beach Boys, for the Joffrey Ballet. The ballet has been in their repertory in several redactions since the 1970s, and is still being danced. ''Deuce Coupe'' is often r ...
'' to the music of The Beach Boys for the
Joffrey Ballet The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies and training institutions in the world today. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the Joffrey regularly performs classical and contemporary ballets during its annual performance season at Lyric O ...
. ''Deuce Coupe'' is considered the first "crossover ballet", a mix of ballet and modern dance. Later she choreographed ''Push Comes to Shove'' (1976), which featured
Mikhail Baryshnikov Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Latvian-born R ...
and is now thought to be the best example of crossover ballet. In 1988, Twyla Tharp Dance merged with
American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...
, since which time ABT has premiered 16 of Tharp's works. On May 24, 2018, Tharp was awarded an honorary Doctor of Arts degree by Harvard University.


Early life and education

Tharp was born in 1941 on a farm in Portland, Indiana, the daughter of Lecile Tharp, née Confer, and William 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 Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...
grandparents on their farm in Indiana. She would attend Quaker services three times a week. Tharp's mother insisted she take lessons in dance, various musical instruments, shorthand, German and French. In 1950, Tharp's family—younger sister Twanette, twin brothers Stanley and Stanford, and her parents—moved to
Rialto, California Rialto is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States, 56 miles east of Los Angeles, near the Cajon Pass, Interstate 15, Interstate 10, State Route 210 and Metrolink routes. Its population was 104,026 as of the 2020 Census, u ...
. William and Lecile operated Tharp Motors and Tharp Autos in Rialto. They opened a drive-in movie theater, where Tharp worked. The drive-in was on the corner of Acacia and Foothill, Rialto's major east–west artery and the path of
Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...
. She attended Pacific High School in San Bernardino, studied at the Vera Lynn School of Dance, and studied ballet with Beatrice Collenette. A "devoted bookworm","Tharp Is Back Where the Air Is Rarefied"
by Gia Kourlas, ''The New York Times'', March 5, 2010 (March 7, 2010, p. AR1 NY ed.). Retrieved March 7, 2010.
Tharp has said her schedule left little time for a social life. She attended Pomona College but transferred to Barnard College, where she graduated with a degree in art history in 1963. In New York City, she studied with Richard Thomas,
Martha Graham Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991) was an American modern dancer and choreographer. Her style, the Graham technique, reshaped American dance and is still taught worldwide. Graham danced and taught for over seventy years. She wa ...
and Merce Cunningham. In 1963, Tharp joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company.


Career


Dances and ballets

In 1965, Tharp choreographed her first dance, ''Tank Dive'', and formed her own company, Twyla Tharp Dance. Her work often utilizes classical music, jazz, and contemporary pop music. From 1971 to 1988, Twyla Tharp Dance toured extensively around the world, performing original works. In 1973, Tharp choreographed ''
Deuce Coupe ''Deuce Coupe'' is a ballet by choreographer Twyla Tharp, set to music by the Beach Boys, for the Joffrey Ballet. The ballet has been in their repertory in several redactions since the 1970s, and is still being danced. ''Deuce Coupe'' is often r ...
'' to the music of The Beach Boys for the
Joffrey Ballet The Joffrey Ballet is one of the premier dance companies and training institutions in the world today. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the Joffrey regularly performs classical and contemporary ballets during its annual performance season at Lyric O ...
. ''Deuce Coupe'' is considered the first crossover ballet. Later she choreographed ''Push Comes to Shove'' (1976), which featured
Mikhail Baryshnikov Mikhail Nikolayevich Baryshnikov ( rus, Михаил Николаевич Барышников, p=mʲɪxɐˈil bɐ'rɨʂnʲɪkəf; lv, Mihails Barišņikovs; born January 28, 1948) is a Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Latvian-born R ...
and is now thought to be the best example of crossover ballet. In 1988, Twyla Tharp Dance merged with
American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...
, since which time ABT has premiered 16 of Tharp's works. In 2010 it had 20 of her works in its repertory. Tharp has since choreographed dances for Paris Opera Ballet, The Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet,
Boston Ballet The Boston Ballet is an American professional classical ballet company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams and Sydney Leonard, and was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. I ...
, Joffrey Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Miami City Ballet,
American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant, it is recognized as one of the world's leading classical ballet companies. Through 2019, it had an annual ei ...
,
Hubbard Street Dance Hubbard Street Dance Chicago is a contemporary dance company based in Chicago. Hubbard Street performs in downtown Chicago at the Harris Theater for Music and Dance and at the Edlis Neeson Theater at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. Hubb ...
and Martha Graham Dance Company. She also created the dance roadshow ''Cutting Up'' (1992) with Baryshnikov, which went on to tour and appeared in 28 cities over two months. In 2000, Twyla Tharp Dance regrouped with entirely new dancers. This company also performed around the world, and with it Tharp developed the material that became '' Movin' Out,'' an award-winning Broadway musical featuring the songs of Billy Joel and starring many of the dancers in the company. In 2012, Tharp created the full-length ballet ''The Princess and the Goblin'', based on George MacDonald's story ''
The Princess and the Goblin ''The Princess and the Goblin'' is a children's fantasy novel by George MacDonald. It was published in 1872 by Strahan & Co., with black-and-white illustrations by Arthur Hughes. Strahan had published the story and illustrations as a serial in ...
''. It is her first ballet to include children, and was co-commissioned by Atlanta Ballet and Royal Winnipeg Ballet and performed by both companies. Tharp was the first Artist in Residency (A.I.R.) at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle. During this time she created and premiered ''Waiting At The Station'', a work with music by R&B artist
Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descri ...
and sets and costumes by longtime collaborator Santo Loquasto. A number of prominent fashion designers have designed costumes for Tharp, including Oscar de la Renta,
Calvin Klein Calvin Richard Klein (born November 19, 1942) is an American fashion designer who launched the company that would later become Calvin Klein Inc., in 1968. In addition to clothing, he also has given his name to a range of perfumes, watches, and ...
, and Norma Kamali.


Broadway

In 1980, Tharp's work first appeared on Broadway with Twyla Tharp Dance performing ''When We Were Very Young'', followed in 1981 by ''The Catherine Wheel'', her collaboration with
David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
at the Winter Garden. ''Wheel'' was broadcast on PBS and its soundtrack released on LP. Her dance piece ''Fait Accompli'' to music by David Van Tieghem was released on the These Things Happen LP (1984). In 1985, her staging of ''
Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd Charis ...
'' played at the Gershwin for 367 performances. Tharp premiered her dance musical '' Movin' Out'', set to the music and lyrics of
Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, pianist and songwriter. Commonly nicknamed the "Piano Man (song), Piano Man" after his album and signature song of the same name, he has led a commercially successful career as a solo ...
, in Chicago in 2001. The show opened on Broadway in 2002. ''Movin' Out'' ran for 1,331 performances on Broadway. A national tour opened in January 2004. It received 10 Tony nominations and Tharp won Best Choreographer. Tharp opened a new show, '' The Times They Are a-Changin''', to the music of Bob Dylan in 2005 at The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego. ''The Times They are A-Changin set the records for the highest-grossing show and highest ticket sales as of the date of closing (March 2006). It was also the first show to receive a second extension before the first preview. After its run in California, the New York show ran for 35 previews and 28 performances. In 2009, Tharp worked with the songs of
Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...
to mount ''Come Fly with Me'', which ran at the
Alliance Theater The Alliance Theatre is a theater company in Atlanta, Georgia, based at the Alliance Theatre, part of the Robert W. Woodruff Arts Center, and is the winner of the 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award. The company, originally the Atlanta Municipal T ...
in Atlanta and was the best-selling four-week run as of the date of closing in 2009. Renamed '' Come Fly Away'', the show opened on Broadway in 2010 at the
Marquis Theatre The Marquis Theatre is a Broadway theater on the third floor of the New York Marriott Marquis hotel in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1986, it is operated by the Nederlander Organization. There are about ...
and ran for 26 previews and 188 performances. ''Come Fly Away,'' was retooled and opened under the title ''Sinatra: Dance with Me'' at The Wynn Las Vegas in 2011. ''Come Fly Away'' National Tour opened in Atlanta in August 2011.


Film and television

Tharp collaborated with film directors
Miloš Forman Jan Tomáš "Miloš" Forman (; ; 18 February 1932 – 13 April 2018) was a Czech and American film director, screenwriter, actor, and professor who rose to fame in his native Czechoslovakia before emigrating to the United States in 1968. Forman ...
on ''
Hair Hair is a protein filament that grows from follicles found in the dermis. Hair is one of the defining characteristics of mammals. The human body, apart from areas of glabrous skin, is covered in follicles which produce thick terminal and f ...
'' (1978), ''Ragtime'' (1980) and '' Amadeus'' (1983); Taylor Hackford on '' White Nights'' (1985); and James Brooks on ''
I'll Do Anything ''I'll Do Anything'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film written and directed by James L. Brooks. While a large part of the film is a satire of the film industry, it also skewers relationships from various angles. Its primary plot concerns a dow ...
'' (1994). Television credits include choreographing ''Sue's Leg'' (1976) for the inaugural episode of the PBS program ''Dance in America''; co-producing and directing ''Making Television Dance'' (1977), which won the Chicago International Film Festival Award; and directing ''The Catherine Wheel'' (1983) for
BBC Television BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...
. Tharp co-directed the award-winning television special "Baryshnikov by Tharp" in 1984.


Author

Tharp has written three books: an early autobiography, ''Push Comes to Shove'' (1992; Bantam Books); '' The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life'' (2003, Simon & Schuster), translated into Spanish, Chinese, Russian, Korean, Thai and Japanese; and ''The Collaborative Habit'' (2009, Simon & Schuster), also translated into Thai, Chinese and Korean. Tharp indicated that ''The Creative Habit'' is about
cybernetics Cybernetics is a wide-ranging field concerned with circular causality, such as feedback, in regulatory and purposive systems. Cybernetics is named after an example of circular causal feedback, that of steering a ship, where the helmsperson m ...
, especially in the several Greek-themed creative exercises, such as the Coin Drop; the Coin Drop, as an exercise in extracting ordered meaning from chaos, is derived from the astrological muse Urania, in that random coins falling onto a flat surface can be used to develop pattern analysis skills. The astrological theme is an etymological underpinning of cybernetics' tradition of "guiding a boat" by sighting stellar references according to ancient Greek navigation.


Works chronology


Dances/ballets/theatre

*Tank Dive 4/29/65 *Stage Show 7/7/65 *Stride 8/9/65 *Cede Blue Lake 12/1/65 *Unprocessed 12/1/65 *Re-Moves 10/18/66 *Twelve Foot Change 10/18/66 *One, Two, Three 2/2/67 *Jam 2/4/67 *Disperse 4/27/67 *Yancey Dance 7/1/67 *Three Page Sonata 7/6/67 *Forevermore 2/9/68 *Generation 2/9/68 *One Way 2/9/68 *Excess, Idle, Surplus 4/25/68 *Group Activities 1/13/69 *After Suite 2/2/69 *Medley 7/19/69 *Dancing In The Streets 11/11/69 *Sowing Of Seeds 6/7/70 *The Willie Smith Series 7/10/70 *Rose's Cross Country 8/1/70 *Fugue, The 8/1/70 *The One Hundreds 8/1/70 *11-Minute Abstract, Repertory 1965-70 11/16/70 *The History of Up and Down, I and II 1/22/71 *Sunrise, Noon, Sundown 5/28/71 *Mozart Sonata K.545 8/1/71 *Eight Jelly Rolls 9/16/71 *Torelli 11/2/71 *Piano Rolls 11/7/71 *The Bix Pieces 4/14/71 *The Raggedy Dances 10/26/72 *''
Deuce Coupe ''Deuce Coupe'' is a ballet by choreographer Twyla Tharp, set to music by the Beach Boys, for the Joffrey Ballet. The ballet has been in their repertory in several redactions since the 1970s, and is still being danced. ''Deuce Coupe'' is often r ...
'' (ballet) 2/8/73 *As Time Goes By 10/10/73 *In the Beginnings 1/26/74 *All About Eggs 2/1/74 *The Fugue on London Weekend Television 4/22/74 *Twyla Tharp and Eight Jelly Rolls 5/12/74 *Bach Duet 9/5/74 *Deuce Coupe II 2/1/75 *Sue's Leg 2/21/75 *The Double Cross 2/21/75 *Ocean's Motion 6/22/75 *Rags Suite Duet 9/10/75 *Push Comes To Shove 1/9/76 *Sue's Leg, Remembering the Thirties 3/24/76 *Give and Take 3/25/76 *Once More Frank 7/12/76 *Country Dances 9/4/76 *Happily Ever After 11/3/76 *After All 11/15/76 *Cacklin' Hen 2/14/77 *Fifty Ways To Leave Your Lover 5/12/77 *Mud 5/12/77 *Simon Medley 5/12/77 *The Hodge Podge 5/12/77 *1903 2/2/79 *Chapters and Verses 2/2/79 *Baker's Dozen 2/15/79 *Three Dances From The Film "Hair" 2/15/79 *Three Fanfares 3/14/79 *Brahms Paganini 2/8/80 *Deuce Coupe III 2/8/80 *Assorted Quartets 7/29/80 *Third Suite 8/26/80 *Short Stories 8/27/80 *Uncle Edgar Dyed His Hair Red 2/28/81 *'' The Catherine Wheel'' 9/22/81 (music by
David Byrne David Byrne (; born 14 May 1952) is a Scottish-American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, writer, music theorist, visual artist and filmmaker. He was a founding member and the principal songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of ...
) * Nine Sinatra Songs 10/15/82 *Bad Smells 10/15/82 *The Little Ballet 4/1/84 *Telemann 11/4/83 *Fait Accompli 11/8/83 (music by David Van Tieghem) *"The Golden Section" 11/8/83 (music by David Byrne) (also filmed for PBS) *Sinatra Suite 12/6/83 *Bach Partita 12/9/83 *'' Brahms/Handel'' (ballet), choreography by Tharp and Jerome Robbins 6/7/84 *Sorrow Floats 7/5/84 *Singin' in the Rain - Broadway 7/2/85 *''In The Upper Room'' 8/28/86 (music by
Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...
) *Ballare 8/30/86 *The Catherine Wheel III 2/2/87 *Quartet 2/4/89 *Bum's Rush 2/8/89 *Rules of the Game 2/17/89 *Everlast 2/21/89 *Brief Fling 2/28/90 *Grand Pas: Rhythm of the Saints 10/1/91 (music by
Paul Simon Paul Frederic Simon (born October 13, 1941) is an American musician, singer, songwriter and actor whose career has spanned six decades. He is one of the most acclaimed songwriters in popular music, both as a solo artist and as half of folk roc ...
) *Men's Piece 10/4/91 *Octet 10/4/91 *Sextet 1/30/92 *Cutting Up: A Dance Roadshow 11/27/93 *Bare Bones 11/27/93 *Pergolesi 6/4/93 *Demeter & Persephone 10/5/93 *Waterbaby Bagatelles 4/30/94 *"New Works" Twyla Tharp in Washington: Red, White & Blues" 9/13/94 *How Near Heaven 3/3/95 *Americans We 5/1/95 *Jump Start 5/1/95 *I Remember Clifford 8/9/95 *Mr. Worldly Wise 12/9/95 *The Elements 5/3/96 *Sweet Fields 9/20/96 *"66" 9/20/96 *Heroes 9/20/96 *Roy's Joys 8/18/97 *Story Teller, The 10/29/97 *Noir 1/30/98 *Yemaya 3/13/98 *Known By Heart Duet 8/6/98 *Diabelli 10/22/98 *Known By Heart 11/3/98 *The Junk Duet 11/3/98 *Grosse Sonate 7/1/98 *Beethoven Seventh 1/22/00 *The Brahms/Haydn Variations aka: Variations on a Theme by Haydn 3/21/00 *Mozart Clarinet Quintet K. 581 7/6/00 *Surfer At The River Styx 7/6/00 *Westerly Round 6/23/01 *'' Movin' Out'' - Chicago 6/25/02 *''Movin' Out'' - New York 10/24/02 *Even The King 1/11/03 *''Movin' Out'' - US Tour 1/27/04 *'' The Times They Are A-Changin''' - California 2/9/06 *Catherine Wheel Suite 5/11/06 *''The Times They Are A-Changin - New York 10/26/06 *NIGHTSPOT 3/28/08 *Rabbit and Rogue 6/3/08 (music by
Danny Elfman Daniel Robert Elfman (born May 29, 1953) is an American film composer, singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the singer-songwriter for the new wave band Oingo Boingo in the early 1980s. Since the 1990s, Elfman has garnered internation ...
) *Opus 111 9/25/08 *Afternoon Ball 9/25/08 *Come Fly With Me 9/23/09 *'' Come Fly Away'' 3/25/10 *Sinatra: Dance With Me - 12/11/10 *Armenia 4/23/11 *''Come Fly Away'' Tour 8/3/11 *Scarlatti 10/13/11 *The Princess and The Goblin - Atlanta 2/10/12 *The Princess and the Goblin - Winnipeg 10/17/12 *Treefrog in Stonehenge 07/26/13 *Waiting at the Station 09/27/13 *Come Fly Away (Ballet) 09/28/13 * Beethoven Opus 130 2016


Collaborative work

* '' Brahms/Handel'' with Jerome Robbins 6/7/84


Filmography

*''
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'' 3/12/78 *'' Ragtime'' 1980 *'' Amadeus'' 9/19/84 *'' White Nights'' 12/6/85 *''
I'll Do Anything ''I'll Do Anything'' is a 1994 American comedy-drama film written and directed by James L. Brooks. While a large part of the film is a satire of the film industry, it also skewers relationships from various angles. Its primary plot concerns a dow ...
'' 1994


Video

*''Scrapbook Tape'' 10/25/82 *''The Catherine Wheel'' 3/1/83 *''Baryshnikov by Tharp / Push Comes to Shove'' 10/5/84 *''Twyla Tharp: Oppositions'' 4/24/96


Television

*The Bix Pieces (series of productions) 1973 *''Making Television Dance'' 10/4/77 *''Dance Is A Man's Sport Too'' 1980 *''Confessions of a Cornermaker'' 10/13/81 *''Catherine Wheel'', PBS 3/1/83 *"The Golden Section" from Dance in America: Miami City Ballet 10/28/11


Books

* Tharp, Twyla (December 1992), ''Push Comes to Shove'', Bantam Books, * Tharp, Twyla (September 29, 2003), ''The Creative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life'', Simon & Schuster, * Tharp, Twyla (November 24, 2009), ''The Collaborative Habit: Learn It and Use It for Life'', Simon & Schuster, * Tharp, Twyla (October 29, 2019), ''Keep It Moving: Lessons for the Rest of Your Life'', Simon & Schuster,


Honors and awards

Tharp has received two Emmy Awards, 19 honorary doctorates, the
Vietnam Veterans of America Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. (VVA) is a national non-profit corporation founded in 1978 in the United States that is committed to serving the needs of all veterans. It is funded without any contribution from any branch of government. VVA is th ...
President's Award, the 2004 National Medal of the Arts, and numerous grants, including a MacArthur Fellowship. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. At the 1982 Barnard College commencement ceremonies, Tharp's alma mater awarded her its highest honor, the
Barnard Medal of Distinction The following is a list of notable individuals associated with Barnard College through attendance as a student, service as a member of the faculty or staff, or award of the Barnard Medal of Distinction. Notable alumnae Academics and scientists ...
. She received the Tony Award for Best Choreography and the
Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography is an annual award presented by Drama Desk in recognition of achievements in the theatre among Broadway, Off Broadway and Off-Off Broadway productions. Winners and nominees 1960s 1970s 1980s ...
for ''Movin' Out''. She received a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Choreography for ''
Singin' in the Rain ''Singin' in the Rain'' is a 1952 American musical romantic comedy film directed and choreographed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds and featuring Jean Hagen, Millard Mitchell and Cyd Charis ...
''. Tharp was named a Kennedy Center Honoree for 2008. She was inducted into the Academy of Achievement in 1993. From 2013 to 2014, the Smithsonian
National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: *National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra *National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London, with s ...
featured Tharp in the critically acclaimed "Dancing the Dream" exhibition as a pioneer of American modern dance. On May 24, 2018, she was awarded the Doctor of Arts degree by Harvard University.


Awards by year

1965 *Walter Gutman 1969 *George Irwin *The Lepercq Foundation 1970 *Foundation for the Contemporary Performing Arts, 1970 *Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship, John S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation *The Emma A. Sheafer Trust, 1970–1981, 1985 1971 *John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, 1971, 1974 *National Endowment for the Arts Choreographers Fellowship, 1971, 1973 *New York State Council on the Arts Annual Support, 1971–1986 1972 *Brandeis University, Creative Arts Citation 1973 *National Endowment for the Arts Annual Support, 1973–1986 1974 *Creative Artists Public Service Program *Edward John Nobel Foundation *New York Public Library Dance Collection *The Place Trust, London *The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, 1974–1978, 1982, 1983, 1986 1975 *Eight Jelly Rolls, 1st in Festival in Video and Modern Dance Video Certificate of Honor *Making Television Dance, Modern Dance Video Certificate of Merit 1976 *Mademoiselle Magazine, Mademoiselle Magazine Award *Exxon Corporation, 1976, 1980, 1982–1984, 1986 1977 *The Green Fund, 1977, 1980, 1981 *National Endowment for the Arts Challenge Grant, 1977, 1985 *The Shubert Foundation, 1977, 1978, 1980–1986 1978 *Dance Film Association, 7th Annual Dance Video and Film Festival *Honorary Degree, California Institute of the Arts *Silver Satellite Award for Making Television Dance, American Women in Radio & Television *The Ford Foundation, 1978, 1980 *The Ford Motor Company, 1978–1985 *The Surdna Foundation, 1978, 1980, 1985 1979 *Soho Arts Second Annual Awards, The SoHo Weekly News *Honorary Degree, Bucknell University *The Scherman Foundation, 1979, 1980, 1982–1985 *United Artists *The David Merrick Arts Foundation *Mobil Foundation, Inc., 1979, 1981–1986 1980 *Honorary Degree, Bates College * Dance Educators of America Award for Making Television Dance *Screening and Red Ribbon Award for Making Television Dance *The Booth Ferris Foundation *Chase Manhattan Bank, 1980–1982 *Con Ed, 1980–1985 *Morgan Guarantee Trust, 1980–1981, 1983–1984, 1986 *The Jerome Robbins Foundation, 1980, 1983 1981 *Film Library Association American Film Festival *Honorary Degree, Bard College *Honorary Degree, Brown University *Dance Magazine Award, Dance Magazine *Dance Film Award for Making Television Dance, Chicago International Film Festival *Indiana Arts Award, Indiana Arts Commission *Citibank, 1981–1986 *Doll Foundation, 1981–1986 *Weil Foundation *Norman and Rosita Winston Foundation *Rockefeller Foundation 1982 *Medal of Distinction, Barnard College *Chemical Bank, 1982–1986 *National Corporate Fund for Dance, 1982–1985 *Robert Sterling Clark Foundation *Ida and William Rosenthal Foundation, 1982, 1986 *New York Telephone, 1982–1985 1983 *Spirit of Achievement Award, Albert Einstein College of Medicine *Honorary Degree, Williams College *Indiana Arts Award, Indiana Arts Commission *The Thorne Foundation *Lila Wallace-Reader's Digest Fund, 1983–1984, 1986 *C.L. Glazer Trust *The Klingenstein Fund *Warner Communications 1984 *Mayor's Award of Honor for Arts and Culture, Edward I. Koch, New York City *Dance Masters of America 1984 Choreographer's Award *Arthur Andersen and Company, 1984–1986 *Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission *Booth Ferris Foundation *Brooklyn Union and Gas *Merrill Lynch, 1984, 1986 *New York Times Company Foundation, 1984–1986 1985 *Emmy Awards for Baryshnikov by Tharp choreography and co-direction, Academy of Television Arts and Sciences *Directors Guild of America Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement for Baryshnikov by Tharp *Indiana Arts Award, Indiana Arts Commission *APA Trucking *The Charles Engelhard Foundation *Corporate Property Investors *Hausman Belding Foundation *Gerald D. Hines Interests *GFI/Knoll International *NBC, 1985–1986 *Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation, 1985, 1986 *Zayre Corporation 1986 *University Medal of Excellence, Columbia University *Bankers Trust *Cadillac Fairview *MCA *Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company *Ridgewood Energy Corporation 1987 *Honorary Degree, Indiana University *Honorary Degree, Pomona College 1988 *Honorary Degree, Hamilton College *Honorary Degree, Skidmore College 1989 *Honorary Degree, Marymount Manhattan College *Lions of the Performing Arts Award, New York Public Library 1990 *Samuel M. Scripps Award, American Dance Festival 1991 *Laurence Olivier Award for In the Upper Room, Laurence Olivier Foundation *Wexner Foundation Award, The Ohio State University Wexner Center for the Arts 1992 *MacArthur Fellowship, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation *Ruth Page Visiting Arts, Harvard University, 1992–1993 1993 *Golden Plate Award, American Academy of Achievement *Woman of Achievement, Barnard College *Inducted, American Academy of Arts and Sciences 1996 *Arts Award, Dickinson College *Honorary Degree, Ball State University *Distinguished Artist Award, International Society For The Performing Arts 1997 *American Honorary Member, American Academy of Arts and Letters 1998 *Trust for Mutual Understanding 1999 *MOCA Award to Distinguished Women In The Arts, Museum Of Contemporary Art 2000 *The Doris Duke Awards for New Work 2001 *Women's Project & Productions Exceptional Achievement Award 2002 *New York Awards Lifetime Achievement 2003 *Drama Desk Award Outstanding Choreography: '' Movin' Out'' *Tony Award Best Choreography: ''Movin' Out'' *Drama League Outstanding Achievement Award for Musical Theatre *TDF/Astaire Award Best Choreographer: ''Movin' Out'' *Indiana Living Legend, Indiana Historical Society *Glamour Woman of the Year Award *Outstanding Contribution to the Arts Award North Carolina School of the Arts *Honorary Doctorate, North Carolina School of the Arts 2004 *National Medal of Arts *Vietnam Veterans of America President's Award for Excellence in the Arts *Independent Reviewers of New England Award Best Choreography: ''Movin' Out''. Broadway in Boston *Goddard Space Flight Center's Center Director's Colloquium Citation for Enlightening, Creative and Thought-Provoking Presentation 2005 *Best Choreography: ''Movin' Out''. Touring Broadway Awards *Jane Addams Medal for Distinguished Service presented by Rockford College 2006 *
Princess Grace Award The Princess Grace Foundation – USA is a charity organization named after Princess Grace of Monaco, which supports emerging performers in theater, dance, and film in the form of awards, grants, scholarships, and fellowships. The Foundation hol ...
– Outstanding Artistry *Critics Circle Dance Award Outstanding Choreography: ''Movin' Out''. London 2007 *Honorary Degree, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina *Honorary Degree, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ *Touring Broadway Award: Best Choreography for a touring show for ''Movin' Out'' 2008 *The Jerome Robbins Prize *The Kennedy Center Honors *Woman of the Year Award, presented by Nevada State Ballet 2009 *''U.S. News & World Report'': listed on "America's Best Leaders" *Leadership at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government 2010 *The IAL Diamond Award for Achievement in the Arts, presented by Columbia University's
The Varsity Show The Varsity Show is one of the oldest traditions at Columbia University and its oldest performing arts presentation. Founded in 1894 as a fundraiser for the university's fledgling athletic teams, the Varsity Show now draws together the entire Colu ...
*The Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreographer: ''Come Fly Away'' *Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences *
Suzi Bass Award Suzi is an English language, English nickname for people with names such as Susan, Suzanne (given name), Suzanne, Susanna (given name), Susanna or Susannah (given name), Susannah. Notable people with the name include: * Suzi Digby * Suzi Ferrer ( ...
for Best Choreography: "Come Fly With Me" *Rolex Dance Award 2011 *The Vasterling Award, Presented by Nashville Ballet *Honorary Degree, The Juilliard School, New York, NY *TITAS Award for Contributions to the Arts *Woman of Achievement Award, Meredith College *Spotlight Award, Presented by Hubbard Street Dance Chicago 2013 *Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by Tribeca Film Festival 2014 *62nd Capezio Dance Award *Honorary Degree, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA


Personal life

Until 1972 Tharp was married to painter Robert Huot, by whom she has a son, Jesse Huot, who acts as her business manager. She also has a grandson.


Citations


General and cited sources

* Siegel, Marcia B. ''Howling Near Heaven''. New York: St. Martin's Press, 2006.


External links

* * *
Archival footage of Twyla Tharp's Nine Sinatra Songs in 1993 at Jacob's Pillow

Twyla Tharp performing The One Hundreds in 2001 at Jacob's Pillow

Alvin Ailey performing a ballet by Twyla Tharp

Twyla Tharp Biography and Interview on American Academy of Achievement
* American Mastersbr>(S35 Ep3) Twyla Moves
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tharp, Twyla 1941 births Living people American women choreographers American choreographers Barnard College alumni Drama Desk Award winners Primetime Emmy Award winners Kennedy Center honorees MacArthur Fellows Modern dancers People from Portland, Indiana Tony Award winners United States National Medal of Arts recipients Choreographers of American Ballet Theatre People from Rialto, California 20th-century American women writers Pomona College alumni Dancers from Indiana Writers from Indiana 21st-century American women writers Prix Benois de la Danse winners