Editing Twyla Tharp (section)

==Early life and education==
Tharp was born in 1941 on a farm in [[Portland, Indiana]], the daughter of William Tharp and Lecile (Confer) Tharp.<ref name="Encyclopædia Britannica">{{cite web | title=Twyla Tharp | website=Encyclopædia Britannica | date=December 31, 2015 | url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Twyla-Tharp | access-date=December 23, 2016}}</ref> She was named for Twila Thornburg, the "Pig Princess" of the 89th Annual Muncie Fair.

As a child, Tharp spent a few months each year living with her [[Quaker]] grandparents on their farm in [[Indiana]]. She would attend Quaker services three times a week.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Interview with Twyla Tharp |url=https://www.maxraskin.com/interviews/twyla-tharp |access-date=2022-12-22 |website=Interviews with Max Raskin |language=en-US}}</ref>

Tharp's mother insisted she take lessons in dance, various musical instruments, shorthand, German and French. In 1950, Tharp's family—younger sister Twanette, twin brothers Stanley and Stanford, and her parents—moved to [[Rialto, California]].<ref>{{cite news | last=Hebert | first=James | title=Twyla Tharp found a kindred spirit to inspire "The Times They Are A-Changin'" at Old Globe | url=http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060129/news_lz1a29tharp.html | work=The San Diego Union-Tribune | date=January 29, 2006 | access-date=February 16, 2009}}</ref> William and Lecile operated Tharp Motors and Tharp Autos in Rialto.<ref>{{cite news | title=William Tharp, San Bernardino  | work=The San Bernardino Sun | date=May 14, 1971 }}</ref> They opened a [[drive-in theater]], where Tharp worked.<ref name=":0" /> The drive-in was on the corner of Acacia and Foothill, Rialto's major east–west artery and the path of [[U.S. Route 66|Route 66]].<ref>{{cite book | last=Adams | first=John Anthony | title=Rialto |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=54G6gAXOJFwC&q=tharp+drive-in&pg=PA85 | year=2004 | access-date=July 23, 2008 | series=Images Of America| publisher=Arcadia Publishing | isbn=0-7385-2892-7 |page=85}}</ref> She attended Pacific High School in [[San Bernardino, California|San Bernardino]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-04-25 |title=Twyla Tharp got happy feet in the Inland Empire |url=https://www.dailybreeze.com/2011/04/25/twyla-tharp-got-happy-feet-in-the-inland-empire/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=Daily Breeze |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2015-10-02 |title=DANCE: Twyla Tharp talks about Inland upbringing |url=https://www.pressenterprise.com/2015/10/02/dance-twyla-tharp-talks-about-inland-upbringing/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=Press Enterprise |language=en-US}}</ref> studied at the Vera Lynn School of Dance, and studied ballet with [[Beatrice Collenette]].<ref>James Robert Parish, [https://books.google.com/books?id=lrmouxw7xuIC&dq=Beatrice+Collenette&pg=PA14 ''Twyla Tharp''] (Infobase Publishing 2009): 14-15. {{ISBN|9781438112114}}</ref> A "devoted bookworm",<ref name="NYT01">[https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/07/arts/dance/07tharp.html "Tharp Is Back Where the Air Is Rarefied"], by Gia Kourlas, ''The New York Times'', March 5, 2010 (March 7, 2010, p. AR1 NY ed.). Retrieved March 7, 2010.</ref> Tharp has said her schedule left little time for a social life.<ref name="AA">{{cite web|title= Twyla Tharp Biography and Interview |website=www.achievement.org|publisher=[[American Academy of Achievement]]|url=https://www.achievement.org/achiever/twyla-tharp/#interview}}</ref> She attended [[Pomona College]], but transferred to [[Barnard College]] after being caught making out with her boyfriend and threatened with expulsion.{{sfn|Tharp|1992|pp=46-47}} She graduated from Barnard with a degree in art history in 1963.<ref name="Columbia 250">{{cite web |title=Twyla Tharp |url=http://c250.columbia.edu/c250_celebrates/remarkable_columbians/twyla_tharp.html |website=c250.columbia.edu |access-date=July 29, 2020}}</ref> In [[New York City]], she studied with [[Richard Thomas (dancer)|Richard Thomas]], [[Martha Graham]] and [[Merce Cunningham]].<ref>Craine, Debra and Judith Mackrell. (2010). [https://books.google.com/books?id=42g8Hp-xA48C&pg=PA450 ''The Oxford Dictionary of Dance,'' p. 450].</ref> In 1963, Tharp joined the [[Paul Taylor Dance Company]].