This multi-racial and versatile ensemble made its official world debut at Jacob’s Pillow in 1982. The group was founded and directed by Clive Thompson, a leading soloist with the companies of Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey in the 1960s and ’70s who began dancing in his native Jamaica. Thompson assembled an impressive repertory of works for his Staten Island-based company from such noted choreographers as Paul Taylor, John Butler, Rudy Perez, Elizabeth Keen, and Arnie Zane. This eclectic group of works supported Thompson’s belief that the U.S. is a melting pot and that American dance represents the best of many different worlds of dance. The David Gordon work seen here was created especially for these dancers, hailed in The New York Times as one of Gordon’s “most hauntingly lovely works.” In the 1990s, Thompson folded the company and moved back to Jamaica where he continues his lifetime involvement in dance.
Read More
