Lila York

Lila York (born 29 November 1948) is an American dancer and choreographer based in New York City. She studied English Literature at Skidmore College before studying ballet and modern dance at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance and with Paul Sanasardo. York joined the Paul Taylor Dance Company in 1973 where she danced for more than a decade. After leaving the company, she left the "very heart of American modern dance" to become one of "ballet's most sought-after choreographers", working with many of the world's foremost ballet companies.

York was born on 29 November 1948 in Syracuse, New York. She began taking classical ballet classes recreationally at the age of thirteen from Gertrude Hallenbeck. She graduated as an English Literature major from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York with the aspirations of becoming a writer. Shortly after, York had a change of heart and decided to pursue ballet and modern dance at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance and received a two-year scholarship to train under Paul Sanasardo. She also took classes with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She was the editorial assistant at Grove Press and a waitress while training as a dancer in New York.

New York magazine called York "the finest [dancer] by far" to have belonged to the Paul Taylor Dance Company. She joined the company in 1973 where she created numerous roles in many of Paul Taylor's works. At 5 ft 0 in (152 cm) tall, Taylor said to York, "I'm not taking you because of your height; I'm taking you in spite of your height." Critics have often referred to York as the long time muse of Taylor. Her first piece at the dance company was Esplanade; the first piece Taylor choreographed after retiring as a dancer. York called the piece "one of his most important works".

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