1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
2. Jules Tasca to Sam Trammell

Twyla Tharp Biography (1941-)

Born July 1, 1941, in Portland, IN; children: Jesse.

Nationality

American

Gender

Female

Occupation

Dancer, choreographer

Birth Details

July 1, 1941

Portland, Indiana, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Stage Ballet Choreographer
• Push Comes to Shove, American Ballet Theatre, Uris Theatre, New York City, 1976
• Nine Sinatra Songs, 1982, then Metropolitan Opera House, New YorkCity, 1990
• The Little Ballet (also known as Once Upon a Time), Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN, 1983
• (With Jerome Robbins) Brahms/Handel, City Center Theatre, New YorkCity, 1984
• At the Supermarket, American Ballet Theatre, 1984
• Ballare, Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) Theatre, New York City, 1987
• Stations of the Crossed, Soho's Ohio Theatre, 1988
• Brief Fling, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, CA, 1990, then New York State Theatre, New York City, 1990
• Grand Pas: Rhythm of the Saints, Paris Opera Ballet, 1991
• Deuce Coupe II, City Center Theatre, 1992
• Men's Piece, City Center Theatre, 1992
• Waterbaby Bagatelles, Boston Ballet, 1994
• Known by Heart, American Ballet Theatre, City Center Theatre, 1998
• The Beethoven Seventh, New York City Ballet, State Theater, New York City, 2000
• Variations on a Theme by Haydn, American Ballet Theater, Kennedy Center, Washington, DC, 2000
• Stage Choreographer
• Tank Dive, 1965
• Re-Moves, 1966
• Forevermore, 1967
• Generation, 1968
• Medley, 1969
• Fugue, Delacorte Theatre, New York City, 1970
• Eight Jelly Rolls, 1971
• The Raggedy Dances, 1972
• As Time Goes By, 1974
• Sue's Leg, 1975
• Once More Frank, New York State Theatre, New York City, 1976
• Mud, 1977
• Baker's Dozen, 1979
• When We Were Very Young, 1980
• Twyla Tharp and Her Dancers, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City,1981
• (And director) The Catherine Wheel, Winter Garden Theatre, 1981
• Nine Sinatra Songs, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 1982
• Sinatra Suite, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, 1982
• Bach Partrita, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington,DC, 1983
• Amadeus, 1984
• White Nights, 1985
• Sorrow Floats (musical), Broadway production, 1985
• Singin' in the Rain (musical), George Gershwin Theatre, New York City, 1985-1986
• In the Upper Room, Ravinia Festival, Highland Park, IL, 1986
• Bum's Rush, Civic Opera House, Chicago, IL, 1989
• Everlast, War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, CA, 1989
• Quartet, Jackie Gleason Theater of the Performing Arts, Miami Beach, FL, 1989
• Demeter and Persephone, 1993
• American We, Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, 1995
• Jump Start, Metropolitan Opera House, 1995
• How Near Heaven, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, 1995
• The Elements, Metropolitan Opera House, 1996
• Moondog, Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation, Stanford, CA, 1998
• Yemaya, Miami, FL, 1998
• Diabelli, Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation, Palermo, Italy, 1998
• Hammerklavier, Twyla Tharp Dance Foundation, Duke University, NC,1999
• Mozart Clarinet Quintet K581, Twyla Tharp Dance, Duke University,2000
• Surfer at the River Styx, Twyla Tharp Dance, Duke University, 2000
• Westerly Round, 2001
• (And director) Movin' Out, Shubert Theatre, Chicago, IL, 2002, then Richard Rogers Theatre, New York City, 2002-
• Even the King, 2003
• Also choreographed Deuce Coupe, City Center Joffrey Ballet.
• Major Tours
• Producer and choreographer, Cutting Up, 1992-1993
• Choreographer, Tharp!, 1996
• Choreographer, Twyla Tharp Dance, U.S. and world cities, 2002-2003
• Film Choreographer
• Tank Dive: Excerpts, 1965
• Hair, United Artists, 1979
• Ragtime, Paramount, 1981
• Amadeus (also known as Peter Schaffer's Amadeus and Amadeus: The Director's Cut), Orion, 1984
• (With Roland Petit and Mikhail Baryshnikov) White Nights, Columbia, 1985
• Valmont, Orion, 1989
• I'll Do Anything, 1994
• Film Appearances
• Tank Dive: Excerpts, 1965
• Television Work
• Episodic
• Choreographer and (with Don Mischer) director, "Baryshnikov by Tharp withAmerican Ballet Theatre," Dance in America, PBS, 1984
• Specials
• Choreographer, Twyla Tharp and Dancers, 1976
• Choreographer, The Catherine Wheel, PBS, 1982
• Choreographer, Great Performances' 20th Anniversary Special, PBS,1992
• Choreographer, Twyla Tharp: Oppositions, PBS, 1996
• Television Appearances
• Specials
• Twyla Tharp and Dancers, 1976
• Great Performances' 20th Anniversary Special, PBS, 1992
• Herself, A Century of Women, TBS, 1994
• Twyla Tharp: Oppositions, PBS, 1996
• Miniseries
• "The Individual and Tradition," Dancing, PBS, 1993
• WRITINGS
• Television Episodes
• (With Peter Elbling) "Baryshnikov by Tharp with American Ballet Theatre,"Dance in America, PBS, 1984
• Autobiography
• Push Comes to Shove, 1992

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals

• Dance Magazine, January, 2000, p. 44; March, 2001, p. 44; April, 2001, p. 36; February, 2003, p. 47
• Los Angeles Times, November 22, 1992
• Nation, March 28, 1987, p. 410
• New York Times, January 1, 1989
• Playbill, November 30, 2002

Electronic

• Twyla Tharp Official Site, http://www.twylathorp.org, February 27,2003