Twyla Tharp, (1941) is a popular American dancer, director, and choreographer who was known for her innovative and often humorous work.
Tharp attended Pomona College but transferred to Barnard College where she graduated with a degree in art history in 1963.
In 1965, Tharp founded her dance company, Twyla Tharp Dance. 
Her dances are known for creativity, wit and technical precision coupled with a streetwise nonchalance. 
By combining different forms of movement such as jazz, ballet, boxing and inventions of her own making, Tharp’s work expands the boundaries of ballet and modern dance.
In 1988 Tharp disbanded her company and joined American Ballet Theatre (ABT), where she served as artistic associate alongside Mikhail Baryshnikov until 1990.
She continued to choreograph throughout the 1990s, but by 2000 the Twyla Tharp Dance Company was performing again.
“When I started working in New York, you were either modern dancer, or you were a ballet dancer,” Tharp shared.
“I thought that was ridiculous, because I could be both a ballet dancer and a modern dancer, so shouldn’t everybody else be able to do that?”
More of Twyla Tharp’s amazing career and chorography can be found at https://www.twylatharp.org/ and https://achievement.org/achiever/twyla-tharp/.
Humoring the Goddess 
Thank you for your wonderfully insightful article, Claudia …
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Thank you my friend. As I previously said, I should have highlighted the other Arts long ago. But we started new tonight!
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Well done, I enjoyed the read …
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She’s fabulous.
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I think so, too. Thank you. I should have featured dancing and music masters long ago.
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The comment section no longer works on my computer…..but had to thank you for this post. Ever read her book? Kat
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No I haven’t, but in reading about her I read about her book. She has such a positive attitude — I think I might see if my library has it. She is such an interesting woman.
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Wow! What an amazing woman.
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To break away from “traditional” ballet is amazing all in itself, but to succeed and be a name synonymous with modern dancing along with ballet is amazing.
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