Dancing

Theater dancer

Sarah Lawrence College,theater dancer in 1964. A major figure in the avant garde, she began her career in the 60's as a choreographer with the experimental Judson Dance Theater, NYC. In 1968 she formed her own performance group, The House. Monk is best known for revolutionary ensemble performance pieces. These occasionally incorporate video or picture, frequently concern a journey or quest, and are unified by a continuing stream of rather minimalist music and expressive movement. Since the late 1970s she has mainly concentrated on her musical compositions. Her works are mostly vocal, ranging from solos (e.g., Our Lady of Late, 1972) to large chorales (e.g., Dolmen Music, 1979), and she's recorded several albums of her own songs. The 40character multimedia theater piece Quarry (1976) is more popular as her masterpiece. . Monk's other works include the "legendary" Boat (1971), built round the life and death of Joan of Arc; the pictures Ellis Island (1981) and Book of Days (1988); the theater dancer opera Atlas (1991); her first orchestral work, Possible Sky (2001); and the instrumental/vocal/dance piece Songs of Ascension (2009).