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RIP Lynne Taylor-Corbett: Thank You for the Dance

Writer's picture: M. Linda GrahamM. Linda Graham

44yrs ago, I became a member of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (1981-1982). One of the reasons I auditioned for the company was because they had an inspiring roster of guest choreographers coming in for the season, including Ulysses Dove, Louis Johnson, and an up-and-coming choreographer whose work I’d seen at a dance festival: Lynne Taylor-Corbett. Her award-winning duet, “Diary,” had burned itself into my artistic sensibility. It was heartfelt, powerful, innovative – and I knew I wanted to work with THIS choreographer. Joining DCDC was a step towards that goal.


When Lynne came in, it was to set “Diary” check goal. I had the good fortune to serve as her assistant, learning both parts, taking notes, filling in when needed - I was also an understudy, absorbing what I could from this soft-spoken, grounded, brilliant woman. I only worked with her for several weeks, but in retrospect, realize how much her style affirmed and nurtured my own artistic process and sensibility.


In rehearsal Lynne took her time to get things right. Her eye for detail was epic. Her articulate specificity combined with an expectation for instant change and consistent, full

performance in rehearsal. She never yelled, but she was certain and demanding. She breathed, focused, waited, and above all, was always kind. Joy bubbled through her - dance was about relationship, feeling, connection - good technique was there to tell the story. IT was all about the work. Anything else was an unnecessary waste of energy, a pointless distraction - she was right.


Lynne Taylor-Corbett choreographed significant, award-winning dance works for major ballet companies, regional companies, Broadway, film, musicals and Muppets; she directed original plays and quietly broke barriers as if there’d been no barrier there at all. She was a lyricist, a composer, a writer- the whole hyphenated artistic package, the real deal. It was a gift to work with her, however briefly. She modeled what I believed through imaginative, dynamic, eclectic, human artistry, forever influencing my choreographic understanding, perspective and practice.


RIP Lynne Taylor-Corbett. Thank you for the Dance




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