Viola Farber
Encyclopedia
Viola Farber was an American choreographer and dancer.
, she focused on both music and dance. By 1952, Farber had transferred once again, to Black Mountain College
was dance with Katherine Litz and music with Lou Harrison
.
In 1953, Farber became a founding member of the Merce Cunningham
Dance Company. She created many roles in Cunningham’s works, such as Crises, Paired Rune, and Nocturne. Farber is described as being “one of the great individualists of the company”. At this time, she also took various dance classes from Margaret Craske and Alfred Corvino in New York, and from Erika Timey in Washington, D.C. Additionally, Farber was dancing with other choreographers. She performed the role of the vampire in Litz’s Dracula as well as dancing with Paul Taylor’s early company. Farber was the only female pianist in Erik Satie’s (organized by John Cage
) twenty-four hour performance of Vexations. In 1965, she left Cunningham’s company and in 1968, began her own company.
Farber died on December 24, 1998 in Bronxville, New York.
Biography
Viola Farber was born on February 25, 1931 in Heidelberg, Germany. In Germany, Farber began dancing. However, at the age of six she was told by her parents, “No, you cannot do this anymore”. At the age of seven, Farber and her family moved to the United States. Even though her parents did not allow her to dance, Farber continued dancing on her own, though she focused more of her energy on learning to play the piano. During the one year that Farber spent at the University of Illinois studying music, she began taking dance classes from Margaret Erlanger. When Farber transferred to George Washington UniversityGeorge Washington University
The George Washington University is a private, coeducational comprehensive university located in Washington, D.C. in the United States...
, she focused on both music and dance. By 1952, Farber had transferred once again, to Black Mountain College
Black Mountain College
Black Mountain College, a school founded in 1933 in Black Mountain, North Carolina, was a new kind of college in the United States in which the study of art was seen to be central to a liberal arts education, and in which John Dewey's principles of education played a major role...
was dance with Katherine Litz and music with Lou Harrison
Lou Harrison
Lou Silver Harrison was an American composer. He was a student of Henry Cowell, Arnold Schoenberg, and K. P. H. Notoprojo Lou Silver Harrison (May 14, 1917 – February 2, 2003) was an American composer. He was a student of Henry Cowell, Arnold Schoenberg, and K. P. H. Notoprojo Lou Silver Harrison...
.
In 1953, Farber became a founding member of the Merce Cunningham
Merce Cunningham
Mercier "Merce" Philip Cunningham was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of the American avant-garde for more than 50 years. Throughout much of his life, Cunningham was considered one of the greatest creative forces in American dance...
Dance Company. She created many roles in Cunningham’s works, such as Crises, Paired Rune, and Nocturne. Farber is described as being “one of the great individualists of the company”. At this time, she also took various dance classes from Margaret Craske and Alfred Corvino in New York, and from Erika Timey in Washington, D.C. Additionally, Farber was dancing with other choreographers. She performed the role of the vampire in Litz’s Dracula as well as dancing with Paul Taylor’s early company. Farber was the only female pianist in Erik Satie’s (organized by John Cage
John Cage
John Milton Cage Jr. was an American composer, music theorist, writer, philosopher and artist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading figures of the post-war avant-garde...
) twenty-four hour performance of Vexations. In 1965, she left Cunningham’s company and in 1968, began her own company.
Viola Farber’s Dance Company and style
Through having her own dance company, The Viola Farber Dance Company, Farber was able to develop her own dance style. She often used improvisation in her rehearsals and in some of her first works. She allowed her dancers to rearrange and reshape the movement, however she set explicit limits. Her dancers were allowed to do whatever they wanted ”. Farber would almost ask dancers to manipulate the phrase and provided cues for beginning different sections. Although, these cues were never related to the music. Jeff Slayton, a member of the company and Farber’s longtime partner, comments that “if a dance had internal or set musical cues, we changed the music”. Her work challenged audiences and was often found compelling. The pieces Poor Eddie (1973) and Willi I (1974) were described as sadomasochistic, while No Super, No Boiler (1974) and Lead Us Not into Penn Station (1975) had humorous themes, and Dune and Nightshade (both choreographed in the early 1970s) had quiet themes. Most of the Farber’s pieces were set to original scores, or were performed in silence. However, a few of her pieces were choreographed to classical music. For example, Nightshade was set to Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14.Farber died on December 24, 1998 in Bronxville, New York.
Notable projects
- 1970s: Brazos River, video collaboration with Robert RauschenbergRobert RauschenbergRobert Rauschenberg was an American artist who came to prominence in the 1950s transition from Abstract Expressionism to Pop Art. Rauschenberg is well-known for his "Combines" of the 1950s, in which non-traditional materials and objects were employed in innovative combinations...
and David TudorDavid TudorDavid Eugene Tudor was an American pianist and composer of experimental music.- Biography :Tudor was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied piano with Irma Wolpe and composition with Stefan Wolpe and became known as one of the leading performers of avant garde piano music. He gave the... - 1974: Made cite specific dances at the Bronx Botanical Gardens and in the Staten Island FerryStaten Island FerryThe Staten Island Ferry is a passenger ferry service operated by the New York City Department of Transportation that runs between the boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island.-Overview:...
waiting room. - Sunday Afternoon (1976) and Private Relations (1979): Farber choreographed these works with a more relaxed feel.
Teaching career
- Adelphi UniversityAdelphi UniversityAdelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York, United States. It is the oldest institution of higher education on Long Island. For the sixth year, Adelphi University has been named a “Best Buy” in higher education by the Fiske Guide to...
(1959–1967) - Cunningham Studio (1961–1969)
- Bennington CollegeBennington CollegeBennington College is a liberal arts college located in Bennington, Vermont, USA. The college was founded in 1932 as a women's college and became co-educational in 1969.-History:-Early years:...
(1967–1968) - Appointed by French government to artistic director of Centre National de Danse Comtemporiane in Angers (1981–1983)
- Sarah Lawrence CollegeSarah Lawrence CollegeSarah Lawrence College is a private liberal arts college in the United States, and a leader in progressive education since its founding in 1926. Located just 30 minutes north of Midtown Manhattan in southern Westchester County, New York, in the city of Yonkers, this coeducational college offers...
Director of Dance Department (1988–1998)