Bio

In the early 1960’s, Steve Paxton was a dancer with the José Limón Dance Company. In 1962, Paxton became one of the founding members of the Judson Dance Theatre. Like his collaborators, he attempted to break down the traditional barriers between dancers and non-dancers. Following this period of joint creation with the members of the Judson Dance Theatre, he developed the technique of contact improvisation. With this method, dancers are continuously interacting with each other to create a series of movements. It has influenced many choreographers and is widely used as a teaching tool. Since the late 1970’s, Paxton has largely left the performance world, devoting himself primarily to training workshops and writing. He nevertheless still delivers some improvised solo performances and collaborates with choreographers, composers, and artists.