Taylor 2, the traveling dance company founded by modern choreographer Paul Taylor, took over the Marigny Opera House for a series of performances and master classes this Thursday through Saturday (January 16-18). Friday’s show drew a good crowd, with six dancers exploring 1970s ideas of democracy, solidarity and socialism, illustrating how empathy for the lesser among us and how building chains of “weakest links” might lead to strength, peace and happiness for all; together and individually. This was especially borne out by the second of three pieces, Dust, first performed in 1977, choreographed by Paul Taylor and set to music by French composer Francis Poulenc, where the dancers wore nude unitards emblazoned with tie-dye tattoos.

Paul Taylor is often heralded as a pioneer of modern dance, breaking free of classical norms and admired as such by other modern choreographers, including Martha Graham. In retrospect, however, Taylor’s work comes across as a bit normative and ideological, and perhaps more indicative of what he broke away from than of the movement he started, the way a wolf who leaves his pack to go live among sheep (because he’s vegan, or just because he’s different from the other wolves) always will be called “Wolf” among sheep.