Overview
Viola Farber
(1931—1998)
Quick Reference
(b Heidelberg, 25 Feb. 1931; d Bronxville, NY, 24 Dec. 1998)
US dancer, choreographer, and teacher. She studied with Craske, and Cunningham, joining the latter's company when it was founded in 1953. She stayed with Cunningham until 1965, as well as dancing with P. Taylor, after which she began choreographing for her own company which from 1968 toured widely in N. America and Europe. Her style was characterized by dense, demanding movement, a wry sense of humour, and an allusive dramatic quality. Her works include Survey (mus. David Tudor, 1971) and Dune (mus. Alvin Lucier, 1972). Between 1981 and 1983 she was artistic director of the Centre Nationale de Danse Contemporaine in Angers, and after working as a freelance choreographer and teacher throughout Europe and the US she was appointed director of dance at Sarah Lawrence College, New York in 1988. In 1995 she performed the Three Step (Shipwreck) with her ex-pupil Ralph Lemon.
