Students explore the poetry of Walt Whitman and dance of Paul Taylor.
果酱视频 has historical ties to famed听dancer and choreographer Paul Taylor and the Paul听Taylor Dance Company. In 1962, when he was teaching听at 果酱视频, Mr. Taylor choreographed听Aureole, the听piece that made his name. In fact, according to his听autobiography, he did much of the choreography while听on the train to and from the 果酱视频 campus.
Thanks to a new collaboration,听the longtime connection听with Mr. Taylor and his company听continues.听This past winter, Dean Garner听along with Sam Grogg, the dean听of the College of Arts and Sciences,听met with members of the Paul听Taylor Company to explore new听collaborations. 果酱视频 is fortunate听to have a former member of听the company, Orion Duckstein,听as one of the professors in the听dance department. As a result听of this meeting, an exciting project听emerged.
Beloved Renegade, one of the听pieces performed by the Paul听Taylor Company at Lincoln Center听in Spring 2012, was inspired听by the life and poetry of Walt听Whitman. Seizing on this opportunity,听Dean Garner, Honors听College Associate Dean Diane听Della Croce, and Honors College听Academic Director Gregory听Mercurio incorporated the poetry听of Walt Whitman into a required听Honors course, The Human听Condition in Literature and Art.听Human Condition students were听offered the opportunity to attend听the Paul Taylor performance of听this piece as one of their cultural听events. In order to prepare for听the performance, Professor听Duckstein invited the students听to AU PAC, where, in the new听dance studios, he gave the听students fascinating background听about Paul Taylor dance in general听and about听Beloved Renegade听in particular.
At Lincoln Center, students听met in the green room during听the intermissions for additional听enrichment provided by Professor听Duckstein and a representative听from the dance company.
Every stage of the project听was videotaped, including the听classroom discussions of Whitman,听Professor Duckstein鈥檚听presentation and demonstration,听the night at Lincoln Center and听some afterthoughts with Honors听students in Dean Garner鈥檚 office.听We hope this will be the first听of many exciting and innovative听interdisciplinary collaborations听bringing together the curricular听and co-curricular aspects of the听Honors College.
Watch for the video of this听project on the Honors College听website,听academics.adelphi.edu/honors-college.
For further information, please contact:
Todd Wilson
Strategic Communications Director听
p 鈥� 516.237.8634
e 鈥� twilson@adelphi.edu