Photo: Susan Sterner.〔The original uploader was Emerson7 at English Wikipedia.〕 / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
Twyla Tharp is one of those rare artists who treats genre boundaries as suggestions rather than walls. What fascinates me most isn't the avalanche of honors, from the MacArthur to a Harvard honorary doctorate, but the sheer stubbornness behind them. She built her own company, folded it into American Ballet Theatre, then rebuilt it again, refusing to let institutional gravity slow her down. Mixing classical, jazz and pop took real nerve in a tradition that prizes purity. For me, her real legacy is proving that discipline and rebellion can live in the same body, well past an age when most have stopped moving.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Twyla Tharp
- Name (Japanese)
- トワイラ・サープ
- Reading
- とわいら・さーぷ
- Born
- July 1, 1941 (age 85)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Snake
- Origin
- Portland, Indiana, United States
- Occupation
- choreographer / writer / dancer / ballet dancer / film director
2. Background
- University
- Barnard College
Awards & achievements
- Guggenheim Fellowship
- MacArthur Fellows Program
- National Medal of Arts
- Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Choreography
- 2013 Capezio Dance Award
- Kennedy Center Honors
- 2018 honorary doctor of Harvard University
- Drama League Award
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
- Official sitehttps://www.twylatharp.org
- Wikipedia (Japanese)https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%88%E3%83%AF%E3%82%A4%E3%83%A9%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%97
Frequently asked questions
When was Twyla Tharp born?
Born July 1, 1941 (age 85).
Where is Twyla Tharp from?
Twyla Tharp is from Portland, Indiana, United States.
What does Twyla Tharp do?
Twyla Tharp works as choreographer, writer, dancer, ballet dancer, film director.
Choreographer — see all → · Writer — see all → · More people from United States →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public or unconfirmed items are omitted. English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.