Molissa Fenley (born 15 November 1954) is an American

choreographer Choreography is the art or practice of designing sequences of movements of physical bodies (or their depictions) in which motion or form or both are specified. ''Choreography'' may also refer to the design itself. A choreographer is one who cr ...

, performer and teacher of

contemporary dance Contemporary dance is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in ...

Early life and education

Molissa Fenley (née Avril Molissa Fenley) was born in

Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

, Nevada on November 15, 1954. She is the youngest of three children born to Eileen Allison Walker and John Morris Fenley. At the age of six months Fenley and her family moved to Ithaca, NY where her father was a professor of Agricultural Extension at

Cornell University Cornell University is a private statutory land-grant research university based in Ithaca, New York. It is a member of the Ivy League. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, Cornell was founded with the intention to teach an ...

. At the age of six, her family moved to Ibadan, Nigeria where her father worked for the US State Department's

USAID The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an independent agency of the U.S. federal government that is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. With a budget of over $27 bi ...

program. Fenley attended high school in Spain, and at 16 returned to the US where she received her BA in Dance from

Mills College Mills College at Northeastern University is a private college in Oakland, California and part of Northeastern University's global university system. Mills College was founded as the Young Ladies Seminary in 1852 in Benicia, California; it was ...

in 1975. Immediately after graduating from Mills, Fenley moved to New York City to begin her career as a choreographer and dancer.

Career

Early career

Upon arriving in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

in 1975, Fenley trained with

Merce Cunningham Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of American modern dance for more than 50 years. He frequently collaborated with artists of other discipl ...

Viola Farber Viola Farber (February 25, 1931 – December 24, 1998) was an American choreographer and dancer. 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 ...

and studied at the Erick Hawkins School. During her first years in New York Fenley danced for several choreographers including Carol Conway and Andrew deGroat. She began creating her own work and formed Molissa Fenley and Dancers in 1977. After a tour of European festivals in 1980 her work began to receive more critical attention in the United States and abroad. Her early career (1977–1987) was focused on presenting ensemble work. Fenley and her dancers displayed remarkable stamina through complex patterning and sustained passages of intense speed, exemplified in works such as ''Energizer'' (1980). In addition to more traditional dance classes, Fenley and her dancers did workouts that included running, calisthenics and weight training in order to achieve the strength and endurance needed to execute her physically demanding choreography. Fenley has maintained this aesthetic of athletic virtuosity throughout her career.

Solo Work

In 1987 she disbanded her ensemble and made a shift to performing solo works, often in collaboration with visual artists including

Kiki Smith Kiki Smith (born January 18, 1954) is a West German-born American artist whose work has addressed the themes of sex, birth and regeneration. Her figurative work of the late 1980s and early 1990s confronted subjects such as AIDS and gender, whil ...

, Richard Long and Tatsuo Miyajima and composers such as

Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up fr ...

Laurie Anderson Laurel Philips Anderson (born June 5, 1947), known as Laurie Anderson, is an American avant-garde artist, composer, musician, and film director whose work spans performance art, pop music, and multimedia projects. Initially trained in violin and ...

Pauline Oliveros Pauline Oliveros (May 30, 1932 – November 24, 2016) was an American composer, accordionist and a central figure in the development of post-war experimental and electronic music. She was a founding member of the San Francisco Tape Music Cente ...

. It was during this period that she created her seminal work, ''State of Darkness'' (1988), which was commissioned by the

American Dance Festival The American Dance Festival (ADF) under the direction of Executive Director Jodee Nimerichter hosts its main summer dance courses including Summer Dance Intensive, Pre-Professional Dance Intensive, and the Dance Professional Workshops. It also ho ...

in Durham, N.C. Set to

Igor Stravinsky Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky (6 April 1971) was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor, later of French (from 1934) and American (from 1945) citizenship. He is widely considered one of the most important and influential composers of the ...

's ''Le Sacre du Printemps'', this 35 minute solo received critical acclaim for both its physical rigor, innovative use of Stravinsky's score and intense sense of ritual drama. Fenley reconstructed ''State of Darkness'' in 1999 at the request of New York City Ballet principal dancer Peter Boal, and again in 2007 for Pacific Northwest Ballet. ''State of Darkness'' received a Bessie Award for both Fenley's original performance in 1989 and for Boal's reconstruction in 1999.

Current Work

After a decade of solo work, Fenley began creating ensemble pieces performed by herself and her company. She continues to create and perform in the United States and abroad. Fenley has maintained a long-time collaboration with composer Philip Glass and continues to collaborate with visual artists, composers and writers. Recent works include ''The Vessel Stories'' (2011), choreographed to music by Glass and featured at the Days and Nights Festival in Carmel, CA, and ''Credo in Us'' (2011) set to the

John Cage John Milton Cage Jr. (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American composer and music theorist. A pioneer of indeterminacy in music, electroacoustic music, and non-standard use of musical instruments, Cage was one of the leading fi ...

piece of the same name and performed at the Mills College Art Museum and the

Judson Memorial Church The Judson Memorial Church is located on Washington Square South between Thompson Street and Sullivan Street, near Gould Plaza, opposite Washington Square Park, in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It ...

in New York City. Over the course of her career Fenley has created over 90 works, which have been presented in the United States, South America, Europe, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Her work has been commissioned by the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Seattle Dance Project,

Marymount Manhattan College Marymount Manhattan College is a private college on the Upper East Side of New York City. As of 2020, enrollment consists of 1,571 undergraduates with women making up 80.1% and men 19.9% of student enrollment. The college was founded in 1936. Hi ...

, The American Dance Festival, Deutsche Opera Ballet of Berlin, Robert Moses' Kin, The Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts, the William Hale Harkness Foundation, The New National Theater, Tokyo, The Ohio Ballet, Australian Dance Theater, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Barnard/Columbia, Repertory Dance Theater, Oakland Ballet, and

Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Jacob's Pillow is a dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The organization is known for a Summer dance festival. The facility also includes a professional school and extensive archives a ...

. In 2015 Seagull Press/

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...

published Rhythm Field: The Dance of Molissa Fenley about her life and work. She has created over 90 works since founding her company Molissa Fenley and Dancers in 1977. Recent works in include: ''Archeology in Reverse'' and ''Artifact'' in 2018, '' Untitled (Haiku)'' and ''Some phrases I'm hoping Andy would like'' in 2019, and ''The Cut Outs (Matisse)'' in 2020 with longtime collaborator and poet

Bob Holman Bob Holman is an American poet and poetry activist, most closely identified with the oral tradition, the spoken word, and poetry slam. As a promoter of poetry in many media, Holman has spent the last four decades working variously as an author ...

on In 2020, Fenley revisited her 1988 work ''State of Darkness'', setting the solo on Jared Brown, Lloyd Knight,

Sara Mearns Sara Ann Mearns (born 19 January 1986) is an American ballet dancer. She is a principal dancer at New York City Ballet. Early life Mearns was born in Columbia, South Carolina. Her mother is a nurse. At age three, she began dancing with Ann Brodi ...

, Shamel Pitts, Annique Roberts,

Cassandra Trenary Cassandra Trenary (born 1993) is an American ballet dancer who is currently a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre. Early life and training Cassandra Trenary is from Lawrenceville, Georgia. She started dancing locally at age 3 in m ...

and Michael Trusnovec.

Recognition and Professional Affiliations

Fenley's contribution to her field has been recognized with awards in the United States and internationally. She is an eleven-time recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Choreography Fellowship. Fenley received a

Bessie Award The New York Dance and Performance Awards, also known as the Bessie Awards, are awarded annually for exceptional achievement by independent dance artists presenting their work in New York City. The broad categories of the awards are: choreography, ...

for Choreography in 1985 for her work ''Cenotaph'' and again in 1988 for ''State of Darkness''. Fenley received a 2000

Foundation for Contemporary Arts The Foundation for Contemporary Arts (FCA), is a nonprofit based foundation in New York City that offers financial support and recognition to contemporary performing and visual artists through awards for artistic innovation and potential. It was ...

Grants to Artists Award. She is a Guggenheim Fellow (2008), a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome (2008) and recipient of the American Masterpieces Initiative from the

National Endowment of the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal ...

(2010). Fenley is a member of many professional arts organizations such as the Atlantic Center for the Arts, American Dance Guild, Asian Cultural Council, CHIME Mentorship program, Dance USA, International Dance Council and New York Live Arts. She is the Executive Director of the Momenta Foundation which she founded in 1986. Mills College and Higher Education Teaching In addition to being one of

's most esteemed alumna, Fenley worked as a professor in Mills College Dance Department faculty from 1999 to 2020. She began as a Distinguished Visiting Professor in 1999 and became an Associate Professor of Dance in 2006. She was made Full Professor in 2013. Fenley taught courses in technique, choreography and oversaw MFA candidates' thesis projects. Additionally, Fenley often set work on Mills College's Repertory Dance Company. She was awarded the Mills College Sarlo Excellence in Teaching Award in 2011. Extensive archives from Fenley's career are held at the F.W. Olin Library's Special Collections on Mills campus. Fenley has taught as a Visiting Lecturer at New York University's Experimental Theater Wing, University of Georgia at Athens and University of Utah. She worked as a Resident Artist for the Baryshnikov Arts Center, The Atlantic Center for the Arts, The American Academy in Rome, Bard College, The Hotchkiss School, The Asian Cultural Council in Tokyo, Yaddo, the Bogliasco Foundation, Djerassi, and

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

. She has taught repertory workshops at

Bennington College Bennington College is a private liberal arts college in Bennington, Vermont. Founded in 1932 as a women's college, it became co-educational in 1969. It claims to be the first college to include visual and performing arts as an equal partner in ...

, Barnard/Columbia and Hunter College."Faculty and Staff: Molissa Fenley." Mills College Dance Department. Web. 28 Feb 2013.

Personal life

Fenley resides in New York, NY and Ventura County, CA. She is married to painter Roy Fowler.

Major works

''The Cut-Outs (Matisse)'' (2020), Created in collaboration with poet Bob Holman and composer Keith Patchell ''Some phrases I'm hoping Andy would like'' (2019), Choreographed as a tribute to the late choreographer Andrew de Groat '' Untitled (Haiku)'' (2019), Created in collaboration with poet Joy Harjo and composer Larry Mitchell '' Artifact'' (2018), Created for dancer Peiling Kao. This work premiered as part of Kao's solo works concert Honolulu, HI. ''Archeology in Reverse'' (2018), Created in collaboration with artist Catherine Wagner. Video and sound by Michael Mersereau. ''Circadian Rhythm'' (2016), created in collaboration with visual artist Robert Gaylor with music by Peter Garland ''Rue Surf'' (2016), collaboration with poet Bob Holman and artist Roy Fowler ''Water Table'' (2016), a work in 8 parts: :Parts 1 and 2 – The Third Coast, music by Ryuichi Sakamoto :Part 3 – Baffin Island, music by Ryuichi Sakamoto :Part 4 – Sargasso Sea :Part 5 – The Pattern of the Surface, music by Philip Glass :Part 6 – On the Other Ocean, music by

David Behrman David Behrman (born August 16, 1937) is an American composer and a pioneer of computer music. In the early 1960s he was the producer of Columbia Records' ''Music of Our Time'' series, which included the first recording of Terry Riley's ''In C''. ...

:Part 7 – Amdo, music by Ulfur Hansson :Part 8 – Mali, music by Laetitia Sonami ''Seven'' (2015), commissioned by Dana and Shinichi Iova-Koga as part of 95 Rituals for

Anna Halprin Anna Halprin (born Hannah Dorothy Schuman; July 13, 1920 – May 24, 2021) was an American choreographer and dancer. She helped redefine dance in postwar America and pioneer the experimental art form known as postmodern dance and referred to hers ...

''Dance an Impossible Space'' (2014), music composed and performed by Erin Gee ''Redwood Park, Part 1'' (2014), commissioned by the Oakland Ballet, music composed by Joan Jeanrenaud ''Redwood Park, part 2'' (2014) ''Esperanto'' (2014), reconstructed by Christiana Axelsen and Molissa Fenley, music by Ryuichi Sakamoto ''Entrance'' (2014), duet for Christiana Axelsen and Molissa Fenley, music by David Behrman ''BEAMS'' (2014), music by Alvin Curran ''Horizon'', (2013), music by Pauline Oliveros ''Found Object'' (2012), collaboration with Peiling Kao ''Cross Bridge'', (2012), collaboration with Holley Farmer, John Jesurun, David Moodey and Rosemary Quinn ''Credo In Us'', (2011), music by John Cage. Commissioned by the Mills College Art Museum ''The Vessel Stories'' (2011), music by Philip Glass ''The Prop Dances'' (2010) :''Pieces of Land'', props by Jene Highstein, music by Jason Hoopes :''94 Feathers'', props by Merrill Wagner, music by Cenk Ergün :''Mass Balance'', prop by Todd Richmond, music by Cenk Ergün :''Planes in Air'', props by Roy Fowler, music by Joan Jeanrenaud :''Prop Dance'' #5, props by Keith Sonnier, music by Lainie Fefferman ''Regions (Revival)'', (2010), set by Roy Fowler, with music by Maggi Payne ''Double Beginning'' (2009), with spoken word by Bob Holman ''Ice, Dew, Food, Crew, Ape'' (2009), with music by Alvin Curran ''Cosmati Variations'' (2008), with music by John Cage ''Calculus and Politics'' (2007), with music by Harry Partch. Commissioned by The Joyce Theater ''Four Lines'', (2006), with music by Jon Gibson ''Dreaming Awake'', (2006), with music by Philip Glass. Commissioned by the Rovereto Music Festival, Rovereto, Italy ''Patterns and Expectations'', (2006), with music by Fred Frith ''Desert Sea'', (2005), with music by Lou Harrison. Commissioned by Repertory Dance Theatre, Salt Lake City, Utah ''Lava Field'', (2004), with music by John Bischoff ''Kuro Shio'', (2003), with music by Bun Ching Lam. Commissioned by Women in Dance/Seoul, Korea and Tokyo, Japan ''Water Courses'' (2003), with music by Joy Harjo ''Waiting For Rain'' (2003), with music by Robert Ashley, set by Roy Fowler. Commissioned by Peter Boal ''331 Steps'' (2002), with music by Laetitia Sonami, set by Merrill Wagner ''Short Stories'' (2002), with music by Anthony Davis and in silence, costumes by Chado ''Signs/Landmark'' (2001), with music by Somei Satoh. Commissioned by the New National Theater, Tokyo ''Folds'' (2001), with music by Fred Frith, choreographed in collaboration with Bebe Miller. Commissioned by Virginia Commonwealth University ''Ceremony''(2000), text by Joy Harjo ''Spring Waterfall'' (2000), music by Philip Glass and Foday Musa Suso ''Island'' (2000), with music by Harold Meltzer, artwork by Carol Hepper ''I and You Resemble Each Other, Now'' (2000), with music by Somei Satoh ''Delta'' (2000), music by John Cage ''Weathering'' (2000), with set by Merrill Wagner ''Voices'' (1999), music by Kevin Volans, with cellist Joan Jeanrenaud ''Timbral Inventions'' (1999), music by John Cage ''Tala'' (1999), with music by John Cage. La Muse Menagére (1998) with music by Darius Milhaud ''Icho'' (1997) music by Leroy Jenkins, commissioned by Felicia Norton ''On the Other Ocean'' (1997) with music by David Behrman ''Trace'' (1997) with composer Jonathan Hart Makwaia, painter Roy Fowler and writer John Jesurun. Commissioned by The Joyce Theater ''Latitudes''(1996), a work created for the internet, commissioned by the Dia Art Foundation ''Pola'a'' (1996) with music by Lou Harrison. Commissioned by Jacob's Pillow ''Regions'' (1995) with music by Maggi Payne. Commissioned by the 92nd Street Y ''Savanna'' (1995) with music by Peter Garland. Commissioned by Peggy Baker Dance Projects ''Sita'' (1995) with composer Philip Glass and photographer Sandi Fellman. Commissioned by The Joyce Theater ''Jalan Jalan'' (1994), music by Lou Harrison ''Bridge of Dreams'' (1994) with composer Laurie Anderson and visual artist Kiki Smith. Commissioned by the Deutsche Oper Berlin ''Witches' Float'' (1993) with composer Alvin Lucier and visual artist Kiki Smith. Commissioned by the Krannert Art Center ''Sightings'' (1993) with composer Pauline Oliveros and sculptor Tatsuo Miyajima ''Nullarbor'' (1993) with composer Robert Lloyd and sculptor Richard Long ''Channel'' (1993) with composer Somei Satoh and visual artist Richard Serra ''Tilliboyo/Escalay'' (1993) with composers Foday Musa Suso and Hamza El Din ''Place'' (1992) with music by Arvo Pärt. Commissioned by the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts ''Threshold'' (1992), with music by Somei Satoh. Commissioned by The Joyce Theater ''Inner Enchantments'' (1991), with music by Philip Glass ''Bardo'' (1990), with music by Somei Satoh. Commissioned by Jacob's Pillow ''Augury'' (1989) with music by Christopher Hyams-Hart, choreographed in collaboration with Doug Varone, commissioned by The American Dance Festival ''The Floor Dances'' (1989) with composer Henryk Gorecki and sculptor Richard Long. Commissioned by the Dia Art Foundation ''Provenance Unknown'' (1989), with composer Philip Glass. Commissioned by Dance Chance and The Kitchen for Video, Music and Dance ''State of Darkness'' (1988), music by Igor Stravinsky. Commissioned by the American Dance Festival. Subsequently, reconstructed for Peter Boal (1999), commissioned by Lincoln Center and for the Pacific Northwest Ballet, (2007) danced in alternation by Rachel Foster, James Moore and Jonathan Porretta ''In Recognition'' (1988), music by Philip Glass. Commissioned by Serious Fun Festival, Lincoln Center ''Separate Voices'' (1987), a group work performed in silence. Commissioned by The Joyce Theater ''A Descent into the Maelstrom'' (1986) music by Philip Glass, set design by Eamon D"Arcy, direction by Matthew McGuire, commissioned by the Adelaide Festival and performed by the Australian Dance Theatre ''Geologic Moments'' (1986), with composers Philip Glass and Julius Eastman. Commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Next Wave Festival ''Feral'' (1986), music by Robert Lloyd, commissioned by the Ohio Ballet ''Cenotaph'' (1985), with composer Jamaaladeen Tacuma and text by Eric Bogosian. Commissioned by Jacob's Pillow ''Esperanto'' (1985), with composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. Commissioned by Tsurumoto Room, Tokyo ''Hemispheres'' (1983), with composer Anthony Davis and visual artist Francesco Clemente. Commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Next Wave Festival ''Eureka'' (1982), with music by Peter Gordon. Commissioned by Dance Theater Workshop ''Gentle Desire'' (1981), with music by Mark Freedman. Commissioned by the American Dance Festival ''Peripheral Vision'' (1981), with music by Mark Freedman ''Energizer'' (1980), with music by Mark Freedman. Commissioned by Dance Theater Workshop ''Boca Raton'' (1980), extended dance mix by Paul Alexander of Talking Heads. Decor by Steven Keister ''Mix'' (1979), Commissioned by The Kitchen for Video, Music and Dance ''Video Clones'' (1979), video and performance work with Keith Haring

References

External links

Molissa Fenley
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fenley, Molissa American choreographers Living people Mills College faculty People from Las Vegas Mills College alumni Bessie Award winners 1954 births American expatriates in Nigeria American expatriates in Spain