(GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) – Paul Taylor Dance Company returns to the Mahaiwe for its fifth consecutive summer on Thursday, July 26 through Saturday, July 28, 2012. The renowned modern dance company will perform the New England premiere of Taylor’s The Uncommitted, as well his landmark dance, Aureole, as part of the dance’s 50th anniversary.

Widely considered to be one of the foremost American choreographers of the 20th century, Taylor – who turns 82 next week –  is among the last living members of the second generation of America’s modern dance artists. A protege of Martha Graham, George Balanchine, and Merce Cunningham, Taylor’s work was regarded as shocking in its heyday of the 1950s through the ‘70s. Twyla Tharp and David Parsons are among the prominent choreographers who have passed through the ranks of the Taylor company.

The Uncommitted is a comment on the impermanence of many relationships in the 21st century; the dance looks at individuals who fail to create meaningful, lasting connections with other people. Aureole is a lyrical, light-hearted dance, with a title that refers to a brightness around a person’s head; it contains romance and a brilliant male solo emphasizing the performer’s virile grace. Other dances to be performed during the engagement include Esplanade, Mercuric Tidings, Syzygy, and Troilus and Cressida (reduced).