Push Comes to Shove

Choreography by Twyla Tharp
Music by Joseph Lamb ("Bohemia Rag") and Franz Joseph Haydn (Symphony No. 82 in C, arrangement by David E. Bourne)
Original Costume Design by Santo Loquasto
Lighting by Jennifer Tipton

A milestone in 20^th century ballet, Push Comes to Shove blends Tharp’s signature wit and offbeat theatricality with classical ballet vocabulary. Created in 1976 for the electrifying Mikhail Baryshnikov shortly after his arrival to the West, the work is both a loving homage to ballet tradition and a bold subversion of it. With its sly humor, unexpected transitions, and jazz-inflected movement, the ballet challenges conventions while celebrating dancer individuality. The result is a richly textured piece that remains one of Tharp’s most iconic and enduring contributions to the ballet repertoire.