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REFLECTIONS ON HUMAN BEHAVIOR Sean Mahoney and Michael Novak in Gossamer Gallants FROM DEPICTING FANCIES OF ROMANCE TO REFLECTIONS ON BAROQUE COURT FORMALITY, PAUL TAYLOR DANCERS CONVEY WELL THE CHOREOGRAPHER'S VOCABULARY By Elinor Rogosin A&E Writer It is a well-known fact that Paul Taylor's ca- reer as a choreographer began when he stood on a New York stage and did not move a mus- cle for 10 minutes. And it is that ironic twist to whatever an audience expects that has continued to be Taylor's trademark since he emerged from the cocoon of the Martha Gra- ham Dance Company in the 1950s. Though I haven't seen half of Taylor's 136 "bal- lets," I have watched enough of his work over the years to recognize his quirky humor and cynical appraisal of human behavior in the three ballets performed by The Paul Taylor Dance Company on the opening night of The Sarasota Ballet's 2012-2013 season. Only Paul Taylor would use the world of bees and bugs for his whimsical, delightful but sardonic exploration of love in Gossamer Gallant, with music by Smetana and set and costumes by Santo Loquasto. The men, resem- bling a strange breed of insects with wings, jump and roll on the floor, hands nestled un- der their chins as they ineffectively poke at the empty air. It is all fun and games until the girls shimmy into view. They are slinky, ap- ple green visions of female vamps, and as the music sings, the men do cartwheels in their