Art Sales Boost Transformation of Paul Taylor Dance Group

The Paul Taylor Dance Company, one of the premier names in modern dance, will remake itself next year with the help of millions of dollars from the sale of modern-art masterworks from its namesake’s collection, writes The New York Times.

The sale of four pieces given to Mr. Taylor by the late modernist painter Robert Rauschenberg, a friend and frequent collaborator, is expected to raise $5-million to $7-million to support a new center called Paul Taylor’s American Modern Dance. The board of the Paul Taylor Dance Foundation has pledged to match the revenue from the art sale.

Unlike its predecessor, which danced only pieces by Mr. Taylor, the transformed troupe will perform works by other choreographers, part of a plan by the 83-year-old founder to reshape the organization to last beyond his lifetime. “A new vision with a new name requires new financing,” said Rick Stone, chairman of the Taylor foundation.