Twyla TharpTwyla Tharp, American dancer and choreographer, was born on July 1, 1941 in Portland, Oregon. When Twyla was a child, she and her parents moved to Southern California and the family opened a drive-in movie theater where Twyla worked from the age of eight. Twyla began taking piano lessons at the age of two and dance lessons at the age of four. Twyla's mother wanted her daughter to succeed in many areas, so she enrolled her in various arts and other courses such as French, German, and shorthand. Shortly after beginning dance lessons, Twyla developed a deep interest in all types of dance available to her. Twyla attended Pacific High School in San Bernardino, California and studied at the Vera Lynn School of Dance. After high school, Twyla left home to attend Pomona College, then transferred to Bernard College in New York where she studied art history. Twyla later discovered that she had an intense passion for dancing. So she took dance classes off campus and began studying at the American Ballet Theater School where she studied with many great dancers and...