Parsons Fable

fanfair

Where style meets substance

Was he dropped from heaven? Maybe. But David Parsons has yet to fall from grace. He made his name in Paul Taylor's company, a blond bob of a dancer who quickly became the Prince Charming of Taylor's rough-and-tumble terrain. Now he performs with his own sleek troupe, and success dogs them. In New York in May, Parsons provided fans with three premieres, including a Brazilian-inspired work with a new Milton Nascimento score. This month the company is touring Italy, where Parsons has already found favor with the fashionconscious flashbulb set. This is no surprise, since his choreography, like his dancing, has a built-in, fail-safe elegance. In his biggest hit, Caught, he presents himself (through the clever deployment of strobe lights) always, astonishingly, aloft. A sign, perhaps, that modem dance's fair-haired boy seriously intends to win those choreographic wings.

LAURA JACOBS