Private Domain: An Autobiography [Paperback]

Paul Taylor (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 1999

Taylor explores aspects of himself that have affected his work. He delves into the creation of Aureole and From Sea to Shining Sea, from their initial inception to the ways in which specific dancers influenced the choreography, including such notables as Pina Bausch, Laura Dean, David Parsons, Twyla Tharp, Dan Wagoner, Senta Driver—all of whom went on to form their own companies—and others—Bettie de Jong, Nicholas Gunn, and Carolyn Adams—who remained as much a part of the Taylor style as the choreography itself. Taylor writes with sincerity, wit, and charm of his associations with Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Jerome Robbins, Anthony Tudor, George Balanchine, and many others.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Knowing that their career days and minutes on stage are numbered, dancers should live moment to moment. Heeding his own advice, Taylor writes his autobiography in the present tense. Explaining the longevity of his well-known dance troupe as a mixture of luck and hard work, he recreates his early struggling years when often he couldn't afford to buy food. He describes in depth his work with Merce Cunningham, Pearl Lang, George Balanchine, Martha Graham, Twyla Tharp and others in a footloose career that took him from Burma to Mexico. Dance, for Taylor, is above all a means of communicating, whether a performer shares private dreams or mimics daily gestures. This lyrical autobiography conveys the joys and frustrations of a life in dance, culminating in Taylor's wrenching decision to abandon performance for choreography when his body failed him. Photos.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“An exceptionally virtuoso performance as a writer—controlled, textured, elegant, funny, and at all times fascinating. It’s one of the best dance books I’ve ever read.”
--Washington Post Book World

Product Details

• Paperback: 406 pages
• Publisher: University of Pittsburgh Press; First Edition edition (April 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0822956993
• ISBN-13: 978-0822956990
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,237,490 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An honest and penetrating self-portrait of one of the very g, October 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Private Domain: An Autobiography (Paperback)

It's good to see this new reprint of Paul Taylor's great memoir on sale. It would be a tragedy if this magnificient book were to become unavailable.

In many ways this book is like a great Taylor dance. Filled with light and shade, humor and sadness, affirmation and mockery. There is also a sense that much has been only hinted at. But whatever might be missing, there is great joy in what is present.

This is the story of Paul Taylor's life, his work, his fiends, his creative passions. It is well-writtten and understated, and filled with delicious stories and wonderful surprises.

Probably most people who love his work have read it already. But this book is so good, that a knowledge of his work is not really necessary to appreciate it. It's a glorious look into a wonderful creative mind, and never dull.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliance at Work, October 3, 2009

By 

Gar Hart (The Big Apple) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Private Domain: An Autobiography (Paperback)

Paul Taylor is a master of choreography. Now in his 70s,
he is still creating dazzling and original modern dance
pieces, which are seen and applauded around the world.
To read his autobiography, and discover that he is as
talented a writer as he is a dancemaster, is a revelation.
What next, Paul - an original full-orchestra symphony or two?

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars private domain, December 27, 2009

By 

E. Lantos (NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Private Domain: An Autobiography (Paperback)

I was disappointed that the book was listed as "like new" but arrived in a soft package. A paperback cannot travel in a soft package without having some damage to the edges, if it was in fact like new before shipping. There were also some marks in the cover. I would have opted for a hard cover had I found one, but trusted the shipper to send this book in an appropriate package. Otherwise, the transaction was satisfactory.