Paul Taylor's Company B Captivates Audiences at Legends & Luminaries Premiere

Matthew Jacome like another shadow of Paul Taylor enchanted the audience with a 1940's flair during the Company B performance at the Nevada Ballet Theatre. Photography courtesy of Nevada Ballet Theatre by Virginia Trudeau.

March 14, 2026 — We could say Las Vegas by now has quite a few ballet favorites. Nevertheless, Legends & Luminaries is a landmark on its own among choreographies. Every ballet company, just like the Nevada Ballet Theatre, should have an annual Legends & Luminaries: first, to dazzle its audiences, as it did during its Saturday premiere at the Smith Center, and second, to celebrate its cast of relentless artists and bygone, never-forgotten visionaries.

The evening opened with Company B, a contemporary dance piece originally choreographed by the late visionary Paul Taylor in 1991, whose presence was felt throughout the evening. Under the direction of Répétiteur Amy Kleinendorst and beautifully reconstructed by her, the joyful and somber dances of the 1940's pulled the audience in. It was an emotional and jovial dream of hope and loss, especially for those who had stepped in that era. For the newer generations, it was a great tribute to an American culture honorably portrayed, one whose sentiment perhaps even in those less digital years still reached across continents. To learn from our parents and grandparents and to be inspired by such lovely times gives meaning to our lives today is certainly a gift to behold.

The Andrew Sisters' music and Nevada Ballet Theatre's thirteen dancers brought to life the creative yet challenging counts and fast-changing musicality of each piece, a staple of Taylor's choreographic rhythm.

"It keeps it exciting visually. It's not expected. It keeps us on our toes," says Amy Kleinendorst.

This portrait choreography of World War II, filled with hellos & goodbyes, cream colors, and swingy skirts for women and trousers for men, all tightened by luscious slim red belts, was also a subtle hint of American patriotism for country and soul. It spoke not only of our passage of time but also of the importance of dance to be honorably carried on.

"Every time I am in the room, I have moments where I hear his voice and I'll always want to share those stories. I'll stop rehearsal and say, this is what Paul said one time, and they live on through our oral history of us passing it on. You can't get that off a video from somebody. When we lost him in 2018, it changed everything," said Amy Kleinendorst with tears in her eyes.

Being under such a powerful legacy and dancing within it is the greatest tribute one could render to its visionary. We can only imagine that Taylor would have wanted the tears not for him (although we are just humans) but for what and who he has left behind. And to be felt in the realm of art was the true and only diamond of the evening. With that, we had all paid the greatest tribute to the legend of Paul Taylor too.

The Legends & Luminaries is part of a series of three articles. To continue reading the evening coverage of the next ballet, click here: Legends & Luminaries Red Angels.