Steve Paxton began his dance career with the Jose Limon Company in the early 1960s, and performed in several works by Merce Cunningham between 1961 and 1964. In 1962, he helped found the avant garde collective, Judson Dance Theatre, and with his collaborators began to break down the barriers between dancers and non-dancers. His choreography challenged the established parameters of dance by including movements such as walking and running, which had previously been excluded from traditional choreography. Notable works include Proxy (1961), Physical Things (1966) and Satisfyin’ Lover (1967).

Paxton later developed the contact improvisation technique, which involved two or more dancers continuously and spontaneously interacting with each other to create a series of movements. The technique is now widely used in choreography and as a teaching method.

Towards the end of the 1970s, Paxton distanced himself from performance in order to lead workshops, and also write. However, he continues to perform infrequently and collaborate with choreographers, composers and artists, including Robert Ashley, Trisha Brown, Boris Charmatz, Kathy Duck, Lisa Nelson and Vera Mantero.