Jeff Slayton

The Prickly Rose: a Biography of Viola Farber Jeff Slayton

Click this link to read a review of The Prickly Rose. Dancer, choreographer and renowned teacher, Viola Farber performed with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company for thirteen years. The Viola Farber Dance Company toured the United States and Europe from 1968-1983. Director of the National de Danse Contemporaine in Angers for three years and the recipient of many awards, Farber became the chairperson of the Dance Department at Sarah Lawrence College in 1987, and held that position until her sudden death in 1998. Written for dancers by her ex-husband and dance partner, The Prickly Rose offers excerpts from her letters and journals, reviews, articles regarding her work, interviews with dancers who worked with her, interviews with family members, and more. Viola Farber's legacy still lives on in the muscles of every dancer who was fortunate enough to study with her.