Steve Paxton

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Steve Paxton (born 1939, Tucson, Arizona) is an experimental dancer and choreographer. His early background was in gymnastics, his later training included three years with Merce Cunningham and a year with José Limón. He was a founder member of the Judson Dance Theater, he performed works by Yvonne Rainer and Trisha Brown. He was a founding member of the experimental Grand Union, and in 1972 named and began to develop the dance form known as Contact improvisation, a form of dance that utilizes the physical laws of friction, momentum, gravity, and inertia to explore the relationship between dancers. He believed that even an untrained dancer could contribute to the dance form. This belief began Paxton's great interest in pedestrian movement. After working with Cunningham and developing chance choreography it was established that any movement is dance this fed Paxton's interest in boundaries of movement if there are any. Paxton is one of the most influential dancers of his generation, his approach has influenced choreography globally. He is reclusive, performing rarely, and usually alone.