Without Affectation

What would famed choreographer Paul Taylor say to the non-dance fans among us (yes, you there in the back) to entice them to see his dance company April 24 and 25 at the Alex Theater in Glendale?

“I’d tell them not to worry!” said Taylor, 68, during a recent interview. “A lot of people who haven’t seen this kind of dance sort of tiptoe in. They’re afraid they won’t get it or something. And they don’t need to worry, really.”

Saturday’s show will feature one of the Paul Taylor Dance Company’s best-known works, “Esplanade,” a 1975 piece with walking, skipping and running to Bach’s music. Sunday’s show has the tango-inspired “Piazzolla Caldera,” which is set to the music of Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla.

But the highlight of both performances is the West Coast premiere of “Oh, You Kid!” a new piece set to authentic ragtime jazz.

The performances are part of a five-year residency at the Alex Theater, including annual visits by Taylor’s company.

Taylor doesn’t think of dance performances as stuffy, elitist affairs, and his dances reflect that attitude. They can be quite beautiful, but they also have athleticism and humor. For him, the appeal of dance is basic.

“All those nice bodies moving around,” he said with a laugh. “Dancers doing things that look like they might be fun if you could do them, too.”

Taylor’s casual attitude belies his hugely impressive resume. In college, he switched from painting to dance and ended up serving a stint as a soloist in the Martha Graham Company.

He has choreographed 110 works, and his company has performed all over the world. He’s been lavished with honors, including three Guggenheim Fellowships, French Knighthood, an Emmy for “Speaking in Tongues” and an Oscar nomination for the documentary, “Dancemaker,” about his company.

Of all the honors, he said, the most meaningful was the MacArthur Award.

“I like the ones that include money,” he says breezily. “The MacArthur was very nice. It supported me for several years. I didn’t know what the heck it was.”

MacArthur recipients are awarded a grant, anywhere from $200,000 to $375,000, that they may spend any way they please.

“They phoned and said, ‘This is the MacArthur Foundation calling,’ and I was thinking, ‘Oh dear, what do they want?’ ” he said. “Then they explained it to me and I could hardly believe it.”

Now that Taylor has the recognition, what’s next?

“I wish I could go on with the same group of dancers, the same staff, just forever,” Taylor said. “It’s very nice to know that in the next four years, we’ll be able to come here regularly, and hopefully increase the length of our stays. This is just heaven.”

BE THERE

The Paul Taylor Dance Company performs Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Alex Theater, 216 N. Brand Blvd. in Glendale. The Saturday show features “Arden Court,” “Esplanade” and “Oh, You Kid!” Sunday is “Roses,” “Piazzolla Caldera” and “Oh, You Kid!” Tickets are $43, $32 and $15 and are available at the theater box office and through Tele-Charge at (800) 233-3123.