When I became a choreographer, I was not assisting any choreographer. I was assisting the director Mansoor Ali Khan for 'Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar.' I was the fourth assistant director.
While I love dancing, and even acting in 'ABCD' - 'Anybody Can Dance' - was fun, I remain, at heart, a choreographer.
I didn't grow up on dance class. I was always natural. I've been in the industry since I was eight and I've always had a choreographer since then. But I never really took ballet or anything like that.
From my experience as an actor, choreographer, action director, and producer, I understand the elements and the dynamics of being a film maker.
I knew I wanted to be the Steven Spielberg of dance.
I once played a character called Mr. Jonathan in something called 'Razzle Dazzle.' I was a choreographer of children's pageants. That was something I never imagined doing. It did great in Australia.
When preparing for a concert, I do lots of training. I work with a choreographer to create great moves and then I have to keep my voice strong with lessons.
Balanchine is the number one influence for me. His work was really musically driven. He and Jerome Robbins were the ones who really showed me that dance could be about the inner relation between movement and music. When I was a student first seeing their work, I was like, 'Oh, this is a thing?'
Dancing was always part of my culture growing up in Barbados. When I shot my 1st video I worked really hard with my choreographer to perfect the routines.
Gene Kelly was one of the greatest dancers of all time and a taskmaster. He sought from you the absolute best - and he got it.
'Behind The Candelabra' is an HBO movie. It's the Liberace story. Michael Douglass and Matt Damon. I play a small part in it. I play a choreographer who introduces, brings Matt Damon to Las Vegas for the first time.
I had always choreographed a little, beginning in high school. And I leaned toward choreography. I always had an overview of what was going on.
I never studied with Balanchine, but his work was very important to me.
Growing up, I was a dancer. I wanted to be a choreographer.
Yes, Carl Vine stuck around. He's now number one composer for choreography.
When I first moved to New York, I was friends with a lot of dancers - people from Merce Cunningham's company and things like that.
Bejart is almost never performed in New York City; critically, he just gets attacked here.
My dancers are the real stars.
On my 'Mickey' video, I was the director, producer, choreographer, editor, singer - everything.
My mother was a choreographer, so music has always been around.
The choreographer for the Milton Berle show wanted me to audition. I walked away from that.
I was a protege; by the age of 10, I was studying with ballet choreographer Anthony Tudor in a class of adults.
I think Twyla [Tharp] has a lot to say. The great thing about Twyla is that she continues to explore.
I want one word on my tombstone - dancer.
Audiences love Paul Taylor, and so do I. Not everything, and not always, but year in, year out, he gives me more concentrated pleasure than I get from any other dance company.
