Twyla Tharp to receive lifetime

achievement award at Tribeca festival

April 03, 2013|By David Ng
Choreographer Twyla Tharp, whose work spans ballet, modern dance, jazz and
Broadway, is to receive a lifetime achievement honor during this year's Tribeca Film
Festival. Tharp is scheduled to receive the honor at the annual Tribeca Disruptive
Innovation Awards, to be held in New York on April 26.
One of the most prolific choreographers working today, Tharp has created stage pieces
for her own dance company, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Paris Opera
Ballet and many other major dance organizations around the world.
The awards organizers said in a statement that "through dance, she has created her own
language and pushed the boundaries of our notions of movement for the past 50 years."
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Tharp has worked a few times on Broadway, where she has specialized in creating dance
productions using pop songs. She most recently worked on "Come Fly Away," a dancetheater piece set to the vocals of Frank Sinatra. She also choreographed the hit 2002 show
"Movin' Out," set to the music of Billy Joel. She has choreographed for a handful of
movies, working primarily with director Milos Forman on "Amadeus," "Ragtime" and
"Hair."
The Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards recognize innovators in various fields. This
year's other honorees are an eclectic group that includes journalist Jose Antonio Vargas,
Korean pop star Psy and political commentator Glenn Beck.