An Oldie But Goodie

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Long before "What happens in Vegas …" became a national catchphrase, Paul Taylor choreographed "Cloven Kingdom."

In the 1976 work — inspired by philosopher Baruch Spinoza’s observation that "Man is a social animal" — tuxedoed gents and pastel-gowned ladies strain to maintain civility before surrendering to the wild side.

In short, "Cloven Kingdom" sounds like the very embodiment of what-happens-in-Vegas abandon — and an ideal opening number for Saturday’s local debut of the Paul Taylor Dance Company at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"It’s an oldie," Taylor says of the 1976 dance, "but it makes a good opener."

UNLV Performing Arts Center officials have been trying to book the renowned modern dance troupe "for four or five years," says Larry Henley, director of artistic programming and production at UNLV’s Performing Arts Center. "We were finally able to get a date that made sense."

Taylor, now 77, won’t be making the trip to Las Vegas with the dance company he founded in 1954.

"I rarely travel with the company," he says during a telephone interview from New York’s Long Island. "There’s nothing much for me to do."

Not after more than half a century of building a reputation as one of the greatest choreographers of the century — the 20th and the 21st.

Winner of a MacArthur "genius" grant, focus of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Dancemaker" and Emmy winner for a televised version of "Speaking in Tongues," Taylor’s resume includes the Kennedy Center Honors, a National Medal of Arts and numerous international accolades.

In 2004, during his namesake troupe’s 50th anniversary season, New York Post critic Clive Barnes described Taylor as "the most dazzlingly inventive choreographer alive," while Vanity Fair hailed him as "the greatest choreographer in the world."

Such pronouncements "alienated a lot of people," Taylor acknowledges, chuckling at the thought. But while "everyone likes a pat on the back," he says, "the main thing is to keep working."

And work he does, creating two new dances every year.

A six-week rehearsal period preceded the troupe’s current tour, which began last week in California.

"I work with the company five days a week," Taylor says. (Although, he admits, "sometimes I skip out on Fridays.")

The Paul Taylor Dance Company has performed its founder’s works in more than 500 cities, in more than 62 countries.

"We change the repertory every year," Taylor says. "There are always some revivals and brand-new pieces."

Saturday’s program includes both.

In addition to "Cloven Kingdom," the troupe is scheduled to perform "Promethean Fire."

Many observers interpreted the piece, set to Bach, as Taylor’s response to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Although Taylor "saw one of the (World Trade Center) towers go down, I wasn’t intending it to be that specific," he says. "It’s kind of a universal thing. But any way people can relate to it."

Rounding out Saturday’s program: "Lines of Loss," which debuted this year, a suite of nine dances (to music by seven composers).

Often described as "the master of light and dark," Taylor downplays the contrasts between the two, preferring to ponder "a gradation of stories and character."

Overall, "I think of dance as being sort of limitless in its possibilities," he says. "I try not to make the same dance over and over."

In the beginning, Taylor had no notion of making dances at all. He just wanted to dance.

Taylor came late to dance, at 22, while attending Syracuse University on a swimming scholarship. But his athletic build and natural talent attracted the attention of such modern dance giants as Martha Graham, whose company provided his first professional home.

"I wanted somebody to tell me what to do," Taylor acknowledges. But "in order to get onstage, I started doing my own thing."

Since then, Taylor has created more than 100 works; almost half remain in the company’s active repertoire.

Such longevity is "unusual" for a modern dance company, he acknowledges — especially in a climate that isn’t always arts-friendly.

"Right now it’s sort of taken a dip," he says. "The media has gotten less interested in the arts … TV’s a good example. When can you see good dance on TV anymore?"

Even so, "I’ve noticed the audiences have grown in numbers," Taylor says. "I think younger people are still discovering modern dance."

And when they do, they’ll undoubtedly discover the Paul Taylor Dance Company.

"All I do is try to make dances I think I’d like to see," Taylor says.

But after more than 50 years of doing exactly that, Taylor’s vision is one that audiences around the world — and, at long last, in Las Vegas — can share.