Dance professor to reconstruct lost work by Paul Taylor

Renowned modern dance choreographer Paul Taylor has given UNC Charlotte Assistant Professor of Dance Kim Jones the unique opportunity to reconstruct a seminal early work not performed or seen in more than 50 years.

“Tracer,” choreographed by Taylor in 1962 with set and costumes by the artist Robert Rauschenberg, does not benefit from the existence of video or audio rehearsal or performance records. During a year-long research period that includes a semester in New York City, Jones will complete the scholarly reconstruction process to re-introduce to the stage an early work by a pioneer of American modern dance.

“Tracer” was the 10th work created by Taylor and Rauschenberg, whose partnership began in the mid-1950s. Designed for four dancers, it premiered in Paris in April 1962. The work made its New York debut in November. The original score was by James Tenney. “Tracer” was Taylor’s 29th work and directly preceded “Aureole,” which launched his career as one of the most celebrated, influential and enduring figures in modern dance; other contemporary pieces are considered masterpieces of the genre.

Jones’s research will culminate in fall 2016 with a proposed residency at UNC Charlotte of the Taylor 2 Dance Company. During the residency, Jones and Taylor 2 Rehearsal Director Ruth Andrien, a former Taylor dancer, will set “Tracer” on the Taylor 2 dancers, working also with UNC Charlotte students, who will learn the work for future performance demonstrations.

Dance reconstruction is central to Jones’s academic research agenda. In 2012-13, Jones reconstructed Martha Graham’s “Imperial Gesture” (1935), supported by a UNC Charlotte Faculty Research Grant. The work received its premiere in January 2013 in Charlotte’s Knight Theater, Levine Center for the Arts, in a performance by the Martha Graham Dance Company presented by the College of Arts + Architecture. “Imperial Gesture” had its New York City premiere at the Joyce Theater in February 2013 and is now part of the Martha Graham Dance Company repertory.