Resume:  Molissa Fenley

Personal Information

Birthdate and Place: November 15, 1954, Las Vegas, NV

Education: Bachelor of Arts, Dance, 1975, Mills College, Oakland, CA (1971–75)

FELLOWSHIPS

• National Endowment for the Arts Choreography Fellowship 1981–85, 1989, 1991–95
• New York Foundation for the Arts Choreography Fellowship 1989
• Beard’s Fund Fellowship 1980

GRANTS

• The Greenwich Collection 2001
• The Peter S. Reed Foundation 2001
• The Harkness Foundations for Dance 1987, 1989, 1992–03
• The Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts 1989, 1992, 1994, 2000
• The Merrill Foundation 1999
• The New England Foundation for the Arts, 1999
• Philip Morris Companies, Inc. 1987–2001
• The Jerome Foundation 1983–85, 1987
• The Joyce Mertz-Gilmore Foundation 1990–92, 1995
• The Heathcote Art Foundation, 1996
• The Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust 1991, 1992, 1996, 2003
• The Fan Fox & Leslie R. Samuels Foundation 1992
• National Endowment for the Arts Dance Company Grant 1986
• Arts International Fund for US Artists at Foreign Festivals 1990, 1994
• The Suitcase Fund 1997

AWARDS

• "Bessie" Choreography award for CENOTAPH, 1986
• "Bessie" Choreography award for STATE OF DARKNESS, 1988

EMPLOYMENT

• Distinguished Visiting Professor, Mills College, Oakland, California, 2000 - Present
• Artistic Director, The Momenta Foundation, Inc. 1985–Present
• Artistic Director, Molissa Fenley & Dancers, 1977–Present

MAJOR COMMISSIONS (FOR OTHER ARTISTS/COMPANIES)

• Peter Boal, WAITING FOR RAIN (2002)
• Felicia Norton, ICHO: SOLITARY BUTTERFLY (1997)
• Peggy Baker, SAVANNA (1995)
• Deutsche Oper Ballet of Berlin, BRIDGE OF DREAMS (1994)
• Dance Alloy, SIGHTINGS (1993)
• Peggy Baker, INNER ENCHANTMENTS (1991)
• The Ohio Ballet, FERAL (1986)
• Australian DanceTheater, A DESCENT INTO THE MAELSTROM (1986)
• Elisa Monte Dance Company, BOCA RATON (1980)

PARTICIPATION IN MAJOR FESTIVALS (PARTIAL LIST)

• The National Theater, Seoul, Korea
• The New National Theater, Tokyo, Japan 2001
• Lincoln Center Out of Doors, 1998, 1999
• The Sydney Festival, Australia, 1997
• The Indonesian Dance Festival, Jakarta 1994
• Akasaka Performance Festival, Japan 1992
• The Adelaide Festival, Australia 1986, 1984
• The Brisbane Biennal, Australia 1991
• The International Festival at Perth, Australia 1984
• Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Massachusetts 1990, 1985
• American Dance Festival, North Carolina 1992, 1989, 1988, 1981
• Serious Fun! Festival at Lincoln Center 1990, 1988
• The Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival 1983, 1986
• Vienna Festival, Austria 1982
• Festival d'Avignon, France 1982
• Festival Bordeaux CAPC 1982
• Dance Umbrella Dance Festival 1981

SCREENINGS / BROADCASTS

• VH–1 1989, Music Video of METAMORPHOSIS with Philip Glass, directed by Scott B.
• Granada TV's Celebration 1989, "Molissa Fenley at the Blackie" produced by Lyn Webster
• PBS' Alive From Off Center 1987, collaboration with video arists John Sanborn & Mary Perillo

MAJOR WORKS

• LAVA FIELD (2004), with music by John Bischoff.
• KURO SHIO (2003), with music by Bun- Ching Lam.
• WAITING FOR RAIN (2002), with music by Robert Ashley, set by Roy Fowler, for 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. Ralph Rucci.
• ISLAND (2000), with music by Harold Meltzer, artwork by Carol Hepper.
• I AND YOU RESEMBLE EACH OTHER, NOW (2000), with music by Somei Satoh.
• WEATHERING (2000), with set by Merrill Wagner.
• VOICES (1999), music by Kevin Volans, with cellist Joan Jeanrenaud.
TIMBRAL INVENTIONS (1999), music by John Cage.  Commissioned by the University of Utah, Salt Lake.
• TALA (1999), music by John Cage.
• LA MUSE MENAGERE (1998) with music by Darius Milhaud.
• ON THE OTHER OCEAN (1997) with music by David Behrman.
• TRACE (1997) with composer Jonathan Hart Makwaia, painter Roy Fowler and writer John Jesurun.
• POLA'A (1996) with music by Lou Harrison. Commissioned by Jacob's Pillow.
• REGIONS (1995) with music by Maggi Payne.
• SAVANNA (1995) with music by Peter Garland.
• SITA (1995) with composer Philip Glass and photographer Sandi Fellman.
• BRIDGE OF DREAMS (1994) with composer Laurie Anderson and visual artist Kiki Smith.
• WITCHES' FLOAT (1993) with composer Alvin Lucier and visual artist Kiki Smith. Commissioned by the University of Illinois.
• 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. Commisioned by The Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts and the William Hale Harkness Foundation.
• THRESHHOLD (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.
• THE FLOOR DANCES (1989) with composer Henryk Gorecki and sculptor Richard Long. Commissioned by Dia Center for the Arts.
• PROVENANCE UNKNOWN (1989) with composer Philip Glass. A co-commission of Dance Chance and The Kitchen.
• STATE OF DARKNESS (1998), music by Igor Stravinsky. Commissioned by the American Dance Festival.
• IN RECOGNITION (1998), music by Philip Glass. Commissioned by Serious Fun Festival.
• SEPARATE VOICES (1987), a group work performed in silence.
• GEOLOGIC MOMENTS (1986) with composers Philip Glass and Julius Eastman. Commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
• CENOTAPH (1985) with composer Jamaaladeen Tacuma and text by Eric Bogosian. Commissioned by Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival.
• ESPERANTO (1985) with composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.
• HEMISPHERES (1983) with composer Anthony Davis and visual artist Francesco Clemente. Commissioned by the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
• 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, Durham, NC.
• PERIPHERAL VISION (1981), with music by Mark Freedman.
• ENERGIZER (1980), with music by Mark Freedman, commissioned by Dance Theater Workshop, New York.
• BOCA RATON (1980), an extended dance mix by Paul Alexander of Talking Heads. Decor by Steven Keister.
• MIX (1979), Commissioned by The Kitchen Center for Video, Music and Dance, New York.
• VIDEO CLONES (1979), with music and costumes by Molissa Fenley and visual element by Keith Haring.