"The Jewish experience in America reflects the best values and traditions of our country," Taylor said, "religious freedom, cultural pluralism, individual initiative, and intellectual discourse."

He added, "On a personal level, the Jewish community has been extremely supportive of my work over the years, for which I am enormously grateful."

Taylor's dance, set to music by Margot Leverett and the Klezmer Mountain Boys: it was described by a reviewer at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer as a "Jewish hoedown": will be seen at some of the stops on the company's 50th-anniversary tour, including a number of performances during the company's run at City Center in New York, March 1-20.