When the men of the Paul Taylor Dance Company take the stage at Lincoln Center for the premiere of resident choreographer Lauren Lovette’s latest work Echo on November 2, they’ll be wearing costumes by Zac Posen. Over his many years on the runway, Posen rarely made clothes for men, but the real challenge of the assignment was designing for their movement. “I think choreography is one of the bravest mediums because you’re really raw,” Posen says. “Dance as an art breaks down a lot of barriers.
The stage pieces are stripped back in comparison; in essence they’re large snap belts that can be added to or subtracted from as the dance progresses. A non-narrative piece, its themes revolve around male identity, gender roles, and emotions. “Interestingly,” Posen said, “the costumes have a classical Roman frieze look, quite strong with a warrior quality.” Lovette is the Company’s first-ever resident choreographer, a role created in the wake of Taylor’s passing by his successor.