David rehearsing Caught
Dear Friends and Supporters,
In 1977, when I was 17, I hopped on a train from Kansas City to New York, where I had accepted a scholarship to the Alvin Ailey School. My career began in 1978 when I joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company on a tour to the Soviet Union. It was at Taylor that I met Howell Binkley, who was there to learn from the revered lighting designer Jennifer Tipton. In 1985, Howell and I were on tour with Taylor when we decided to strike out on our own and create a dance company. You have to be slightly nuts to start a nonprofit. We were, and we did. In 1987, Parsons Dance was born!
Things went well. So well that this season Parsons Dance is celebrating its 40th anniversary! During the past few weeks, I have been communicating with our Board and staff about how we might honor the company’s longevity. After a lot of talk, we decided that in the months ahead, each of our newsletters will feature something that says it best, whether it’s a story about our incredible dancers, a tribute to the amazing collaborators who, over the years, have been associated with Parsons Dance, or a memory of what it felt like for me to perform Caught for the first time. It’ll be great having you along for the ride!
Warmly,
Dave