Orcas Center brings dance to students and adults with Taylor 2 on Thursday

Company B Rum and Coke will be performed at Orcas Center Thursday night. Paul Caravoglio photo.

Orcas Center will present the world-renowned Taylor 2 Dance Company in performance on Thursday, March 26 at 7:30 pm.

Special student prices will be offered for the performance, and middle and high school students will be able to see the group perform in rehearsal that afternoon.

The Paul Taylor Dance Company, now in its 55^th season, is one of the world’s most exquisite ensembles. Paul Taylor first presented his choreography in New York City in 1954, and in the half century since, has become a living legend and one of America’s most celebrated artists.

His works, once deemed avant-garde, quickly became the gold standard of modern dance. As no choreographer has done, Mr. Taylor bridged the once-distant camps of ballet and modern dance by creating dances that were performed by internationally acclaimed ballet companies. He has been showered with every prestigious award the United States can bestow on an artist. A prolific choreographer who has created 129 dances in his career, Taylor continues to create work.

While the Paul Taylor Dance Company has toured to more than 520 cities in 62 countries, a second company, Taylor 2, was created in 1993 to ensure that his works could be seen by audiences all over the world, and particularly audiences in small communities. In selecting repertoire for Taylor 2, Mr. Taylor chooses dances that span the broad spectrum of his work. The Taylor 2 dancers perform with athleticism, humor and a range of emotions.

On Thursday evening, March 26, the company will perform some of the most loved classics from the Paul Taylor repertoire: Company B which is set to music by the Andrews Sisters; .3 Epitaphs, set to American folk music; a duet from Lento, to music by Haydn; and Esplanade, to music by Bach . Earlier in the afternoon, Orcas middle and high school students will have the rare experience of observing this world-renowned dance company during rehearsal for the evening performance.

A Student Special is offered for the 7:30 pm performance. Student tickets are $5, and parents accompanying students may purchase tickets at half price. As an extension of the Orcas Arts Education Project’s current in-class dance instruction for all elementary and middle school students, parents are encouraged to bring their children to experience this exceptional dance performance.

Regular tickets are $24, $16 for Orcas Center members, and $10 for students. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit www.orcascenter.org or call or 360/376-2281 ext 1 during box office hours, Thursday-Saturday, noon – 4 pm.