Impressively well organised archive of the work of Twyla Tharp
Description
YLFYFFYYFFFMPMPPPPP PW was
created while Tharp's company was in residence at Sullins College, a
women's university. The piece contained a solo for Figueroa which was
danced twice: first topless, then bottomless. The other three dancers
wore costumes that could be simply manipulated such as by rolling up a
pant leg or sleeve.
It was during rehearsals that the faculty found out about
the nudity and reported it to the president of the college, a man. He
would not allow those sections to be performed. Before the premiere,
Tharp introduced the piece, explaining that the nudity was not
gratuitous but an integral part of the dance. Therefore, when those
sections were to occur, the dancers would stop and mark time for
the duration of each.
After the piece finished, Tharp conferred with the dancers
and announced that they would perform again. The censored sections
would be included and if anyone felt they would be offended they should
leave. The president moved down to the front row.
The conflict around the performances inspired articles in
the student newsletter questioning a male making the decisions for this
all-female student body.
Tharp took the title of this work from a misprint in the
New York Times to illustrate the imperfections of institutions that are
assumed to be an ultimate authority. Such a major misprint as this in a
highly regarded newspaper was akin to the incongruity experienced at
Sullins College.