YVONNE RAINER

b. 1934, San Francisco, California, USA

My films always were meant to confound in a certain way.
Yvonne Rainer (1)
Dancer, choreora!her, !erfor"er, fil""a#er an$ %ri&er Yvonne Rainer, %ho bean
choreora!hin in 19'1 an$ "a$e her firs& fil" in 19'(, is a #e) fi*re in &he s&or) of
&he +e% Yor# avan&,ar$e in &er"s of bo&h her %ri&in an$ !rac&ice.

(-) Rainer !rovi$e$
a co""en&ar) on &he infl*ences &ha& !rece$e$ her o%n aes&he&ic ob.ec&ives an$
ar&ic*la&e$ her o%n !ro.ec& &hro*h !rac&ice an$ e/!lica&or) $isco*rse, es&ablishin her
!osi&ion as a #e) !la)er %i&hin &he +e% Yor# avan&,ar$e fro" &he earl) 19'0s &hro*h
&o &he "i$,1990s. D*rin &his !erio$ she !ro$*ce$ &%elve fil"s, incl*$in silen& shor&
%or#s for "*l&i"e$ia !erfor"ances (%hich she calls 1fil"e$ choreora!hic e/ercises2)
(3) as %ell as fea&*res. Accor$in &o Rainer, her fascina&ion %i&h $ance an$ fil" e"ere$
si"*l&aneo*sl) %hen she "ove$ on fro" ac&in a& -3 (!. 31). She is cer&ainl) a
choreora!her %ho ha$ as "an) fil" reference !oin&s as choreora!hic, evi$ence$ in
&he *se of !ro.ec&ion in her s&ae %or# an$ her er*$i&e *se of cine"a&ic 4*o&a&ion in her
fil" %or#. (4) 5ha& lin#s Rainer6s $ance an$ fil" %or# is an in&ense cri&i4*e of
$isci!linar) conven&ions an$ a !rofo*n$ in&erroa&ion of &he role of !erfor"ance.
7erfor"ance is cen&ral &o all as!ec&s of Rainer6s %or#8 she herself refers &o !erfor"ance
as &he s*b.ec& "a&&er in her fil"s (!. 9) an$ 7e) 7helan $escribes her %ri&ins as
1rhe&orical !erfor"ances2. (3)
Rainer6s !aren&s %ere "iran&s, her "o&her 7olish,:e%ish (1a !o&en&ial s&ae "o&her2)
an$ her fa&her ;&alian (1an anarchis& an$ a ho*se !ain&er2), %ho se&&le$ in San Francisco.
Rainer $escribes herself as a sh) chil$ %ho li#e$ &o rea$ an$ her chil$hoo$ as
1$e!resse$2. (') A& aro*n$ 13 she s&ar&e$ a&&en$in socialis&,anarchis& "ee&ins %i&h
her bro&her %here she "a$e frien$s %i&h so"e visi&in +e% Yor#ers.

A& -0 Rainer 1fell
in&o2 ac&in school a& &he <hea&er Ar&s Colon) in San Francisco, b*& af&er so"e
fr*s&ra&ions &here she "ove$ &o +e% Yor# %i&h a !ain&er, Al =el$. <here she beca"e
involve$ in &he vis*al ar&s scene an$ con&in*e$ ac&in classes, no% a& &he =erber&
>erhof school %here she %as &ol$ she %as 1&oo in&ellec&*al2 (!!. 49?30). Rainer s&ar&e$
f*ll,&i"e &rainin a& &he @ar&ha Araha" School a& -3 an$ $ance$ f*ll,&i"e %i&h &he
s*!!or& of her !aren&s, s!en$in her s!are &i"e a& &he @*se*" of @o$ern Ar& %a&chin
fil" classics. She "ove$ on &o @erce C*nninha"6s classes an$ &hen beca"e !ar& of an
infor"al collec&ive "ee&in in &he C*nninha" s&*$ios %ho %o*l$ %or# &oe&her an$
!erfor" for each o&her.
Rainer beca"e a cen&ral fi*re in &he A"erican !os&"o$ern $ance "ove"en&,
s!ecificall) &he +e% Yor# ac&ivi&) s*rro*n$in &he ven*e, :*$son Ch*rch. Follo%in @erce
C*nninha"6s lea$, :*$son Dance <hea&re %as incl*sive of ar&is&s %or#in in o&her
$isci!lines. Fil""a#in %as !ar&ic*larl) !re$o"inan& a& :*$son Dance <hea&re even&s
an$ Sall) >anes $escribes &his area as a 1#e) o*&ro%&h2 of &he ro*!. (() A fil" %or#,
b) re*lar con&rib*&or Blaine S*""ers an$ o&hers, o!ene$ &he ver) firs& :*$son
!erfor"ance an$ %i&hin &he series &here %ere o&her screenins incl*$in >rian De
7al"a6s 19'3 fil", Wotans Wake (%hich !aro$ies @a)a Deren a"on o&her &hins). (9)
7e&er 5ollen an$ Cic#) Allan have %ri&&en &ha& e/!eri"en&al fil""a#ers have al%a)s
been 1in&eres&e$ in analoies be&%een $ance an$ fil" as #ine&ic an$ &i"e,base$ ar&
for"s2, (9) an$ in &he case of &he 6'0s an$ 6(0s, choreora!hic an$ fil"Dvi$eo s&ra&eies
can be $isc*sse$ as conco"i&an& %i&h &he &%o $isci!lines infor"in an$ elabora&in on
each o&her. Alon %i&h De 7al"a, o&her fil""a#ers s*ch as Charles A&las, Shirle) Clar#e,
A") Areenfiel$, Doris Chase an$ =ilar) =arris %or#e$ %i&h $ance an$ $ancers. (10)
Rainer *l&i"a&el) s&a&es, ho%ever, &ha& her infl*ences %ere fro" o*&si$e &he
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e/!eri"en&al fil" scene8 &ha& she %as fa"iliar %i&h &he %or# of @a)a Deren an$
fil""a#ers s*ch as S&an >ra#hae an$ Eenne&h Aner, b*& 1&he i$eas $i$n6& reall) &*rn
"e on &he %a) &ha& F:ohnG Cae6s i$eas in "*sic an$ 6'0s ar& !rac&ices ha$.2 (11)
Yvonne Rainer %as one of &he firs& $ance !rac&i&ioners &o "a#e a
%holesale re&*rn &o &he Hever)$a) bo$)6 as an al&erna&ive &o &he
H!erfor"in bo$)6 %hich $is!la)s s#ills an$ vir&*osi&). Rainer6s
choreora!hic innova&ions involve$ co"binin "ove"en&s &ha&
co"!le&el) $iress fro" &he f*nc&ional or !*r!osef*l %i&h &he
&one of an ever)$a) a&&i&*$e. <his lea$ &o &he $evelo!"en& of an
even, an&i,$ra"a&ic !hrasin, challenin &he &ra$i&ional
in&en&ionali&) behin$ !erfor"ance %i&h &he $ancer a!!earin as a
Hne*&ral $oer6. Rainer &h*s se& *! a &ension be&%een &he ac&ions
&he"selves (non,"i"e&ic, choreora!he$ con&en&) an$ &he &one
of &heir e/ec*&ion (!e$es&rian a&&i&*$e, non,vir&*osic)8 a &ension
be&%een con&en& an$ !erfor"ance. <his in&eres& in &he rela&ion
be&%een con&en& "a&erial an$ no&ions of H!erfor"ance6, an$ i&s
i"!ac& on %ha& 7helan &er"s 1&he rela&ion be&%een s!ec&acle an$
s!ec&a&or2, (1-) con&in*e$ in Rainer6s fil" %or#.
Rainer6s fil"s have "ainl) been anal)se$ fro" %i&hin a fe"inis&
or avan&,ar$e fra"e%or#, (13) an$ her career has been vie%e$
as a linear !roression %i&h H!roble"s6 &ha& e"ere$ in her
$ancin bein %or#e$ &hro*h in her fil"s. ;n her in&ro$*c&or)
essa) &o Rainer6s collec&e$ %ri&ins, 7e) 7helan $e"ons&ra&es
Rainer6s &r*l) van*ar$ s&a&*s an$ &he !ar& !la)e$ b) her
&ransi&ion fro" $ance &o fil". She !oin&s &o &he fac& &ha& Rainer6s i$eoloical !ro.ec&
in&erroa&in &he inscri!&ion of s!ec&a&orial !osi&ions %i&hin &he fil" &e/& an$ &he
corres!on$in f*nc&ions of narra&ive, !re,$a&es &he fe"inis& fil" &heories &ha& have been
*se$ &o Hrea$6 her fil"s an$ can be fo*n$ a& %or# in her choreora!h) (!!. 9?10).
:ona&han 5alle) (14) con&in*es &his ar*"en&, a$$in &ha& Rainer6s $esire &o $eal %i&h
charac&er an$ social rela&ions %as no& !ar& of a larer shif& &o%ar$ narra&ive in &he
cine"a&ic avan&,ar$e as ar*e$ b) +oel Carroll. (13) Rainer6s &*rn &o 1e"o&ional life2,
(!. 9-) %hich *l&i"a&el) lea$ her a%a) fro" $ance an$ &o%ar$ her in&eres& in fil", %as
in fac& a reac&ion aains& &he "ini"alis& an$ Caean &ra$i&ions &ha& ha$ infor"e$ her
choreora!h). (1') >o&h &hese !oin&s can be verifie$ %i&h !assaes fro" Rainer6s o%n
%ri&in, !ar&ic*larl) in her 1994 in&ervie% %i&h I)n >l*"en&hal an$ a !a!er iven b)
Rainer in 199(. (1() Rainer6s !osi&ion as an innova&or %i&hin fil" !rac&ice, !re,e"!&in
"a.or shif&s in bo&h fe"inis& $isco*rse an$ avan&,ar$e fil" "ove"en&s, can be &race$
&o her shif& across $isci!lines brinin i$eas an$ s&ra&eies fro" !os&"o$ern $ance,
vis*al ar&s an$ "*sical co"!osi&ion &o &he avan&,ar$e fil" scene in +e% Yor#.
Jne of &he "os& $isc*sse$ as!ec&s of Rainer6s shif& fro" $ance &o fil" has circle$ aro*n$
her reconfi*ra&ion of &he !erfor"erDs!ec&a&or rela&ion. <his !ro.ec& bean %i&h Rainer6s
ba&&le aains& a narcissis&icDvo)e*ris&ic "o$el of $ance !erfor"ance, a cri&i4*e &ha& ha$
i$eoloical re!erc*ssions for &he $ance a*$ience. Rainer6s choreora!h) %as free$ fro"
&he e/cl*sivi&) of vir&*osic $ance8 an Hever)bo$)6 %as !erfor"in an$ &his &hrille$ as
"an) !eo!le as i& shoc#e$. A ne% rela&ion be&%een !erfor"er an$ s!ec&a&or %as
achieve$ &hro*h a s*!!ression of s!ec&acle in &he $ancer6s ac&ivi&) on s&ae, a #ine&ic
fa"iliari&) %i&h &he cor!oreal !erfor"ance, challenin !hrasin &ha& evene$ o*&
$ra"a&ic crescen$os an$ an aversion of &he $ancer6s aKe. S!ec&a&orial Hrecon$i&ionin6
%as achieve$ &hro*h &he ver) cons&r*c&ion an$ e/ec*&ion of &he $ances an$ %as b*il&
in&o &he !erfor"ance, inser&in in&o her %or# an inheren& socio,!oli&ical challene.
;n $isc*ssions of s!ec&a&orial "o$els for her fil" %or#, Rainer6s $ance !erfor"ances are
seen as faile$ a&&e"!&s a& !resen&in &he bo$) as an Hob.ec&6 an$ re%or#in &he
!erfor"erDs!ec&a&or rela&ion, %i&h s*b.ec&ivi&) seen as an inevi&able ele"en& of live
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!h)sical !erfor"ance. (19) 5alle) sees &his H!roble"6 as one of &he 1con&ra$ic&ions an$
li"i&a&ions2 &ha& lea$ Rainer &o%ar$ "ore narra&ive !erfor"ance an$ &hen fil". (19) >*&
&he con&in*i&ies be&%een Rainer6s !erfor"ance s&ra&eies on s&ae an$ on screen are
enlih&enin iven &he ra$ical brea# she %as "a#in %i&h con&e"!oraneo*s &ren$s in
avan&,ar$e fil". (-0) ;f Rainer6s fil"s e/!lore 1&he %a)s in %hich ar& %as un$e"ocra&ic,
i$eoloical, fra*h& %i&h !roble"s rela&e$ &o !o%er an$ a*&hori&), an$ $eci$e$l)
"e$ia&e$2, (-1) she ha$ alrea$) *n$er&a#en an e/!lora&ion of s*ch iss*es %i&hin her
choreora!hic %or#. <he sense of con&in*i&) %i&hin an$ across Rainer6s &%o bo$ies of
%or# co"es fro" &he con&in*al 4*es&ionin of "eanin cons&r*c&ion an$ !resen&a&ion
&hro*h !erfor"ance, %he&her on &he level of &he ac&ions of !erfor"ers or &he &o&al
!erfor"ance co"!risin of &he cons&i&*en& ele"en&s of &he %or#. Rainer $econs&r*c&s
&he s"oo&h s*rface of cine"a&ic cons&r*c&ion an$ cri&i4*es &he !oli&ics of i&s
s!ec&a&orD!erfor"er rela&ions b) in&erroa&in &he basic co"!onen&s of &he a!!ara&*s,
.*s& as she ha$ $econs&r*c&e$ &he !erfor"ance conven&ions of con&e"!orar) $ance b)
a$.*s&in &he &one an$ !hrasin of &he choreora!h) a& &he level of &he basic *ni&. <he
vario*s co"bina&ions an$ con&ra$ic&ions of fi*ral "ove"en&, i"ae, s!o#en or !rin&e$
&e/&, so*n$ an$ s!a&ial !ers!ec&ive, an$ &he rela&ion of &his on,screen "a&erial &o
a*$ience e/!ec&a&ion, is an area for cons&an& in&erroa&ion in Rainer6s fil"s. (--)
An in&eres& in &he rela&ion be&%een con&en& an$ no&ions of H!erfor"ance6, %ha& 7helan
&er"s 1Rainer6s li&eral e/!lora&ion of &he $isconnec&ions be&%een for" an$ con&en&2, (!.
13) can be rea$ in rela&ion &o narra&ive in Rainer6s fil"s. Rainer of&en $isc*sses %ha&
co*l$ be calle$ a !la) %i&h &he H&rans"ission6 of &he !erfor"a&ive in her screen %or#
%i&hin &he con&e/& of her in&erroa&ion of &he cine"a&ic ele"en&s of narra&ive an$
charac&er. ;n 19(9, Rainer s!o#e a& <he ;n&erna&ional For*" on Avan&,Aar$e Fil",
$isc*ssin &he $e"an$s of narra&ive fil""a#in an$ $escribin a &)!e of fil" &ha&
con&ains 1both narra&ive an$ non,narra&ive charac&eris&ics2L
For example, a series of events containing answers to when, where, why, whom, gives
way to a series of images, or maybe a single image, which, in its obsessive
repetitiveness or prolonged duration or rhythmic predictability or even stillness,
becomes disengaged from story and enters this other realm, call it catalogue,
demonstration, lyricism, poetry or pure research. The work now floats free of ultimate
climax, pot of gold, payoff, future truth, existing solely in the present. !r perhaps a
work that starts out being meditative, concerned with resonance, mood"suddenly
changes its density by appropriating elements of melodrama. (!. 139)
Rainer6s re%irin of &he conven&ions of cine"a&ic !ro$*c&ion an$ eneric e/!ec&a&ion
challene &he #in$ of cine"a of ill*sion an$ e/cl*sion base$ on an or$erin no&ion of
!ro$*c&ion, %ha& Rainer calls &he 1&)rann)2 of &he 1!re$o"ina&in for" of narra&ive2 (!.
139). 5ha& Rainer is $escribin in &he 4*o&e above, &hese i"aes &ha& re!ea&, !rolon,
crea&e rh)&h", freeKe, res*l& in an al&erna&ive cine"a &ha& never co"!le&el) ives over
i&s connec&ions %i&h narra&ive conven&ions. <hese Hchoreora!hic6 ele"en&s &ha& !la) %i&h
"ove"en& across s!ace an$ &i"e $e"ons&ra&e Rainer6s in&eres& in cine"a&ic "o&ion
be)on$ "ove"en&s of !ro$*c&ion, (-3) b*& are onl) Hac&iva&e$6 %hen &he) b*"! *!
aains& &he narra&ivi&) &ha& beco"es "ore an$ "ore i"!or&an& across Rainer6s oe*vre.
She of&en ci&es :ean,I*c Ao$ar$ in her %ri&in an$ his infl*ence is cer&ainl) fel& in &hese
s&ra&eies &ha& %or# &he s!ace be&%een &he narra&ive an$ non,narra&ive in a $e&aile$ an$
so!his&ica&e$ %a). (-4)
;n #ives of $erformers (19(-), Rainer6s firs& f*ll,len&h fil" an$ &he one &ha& "os& clearl)
$e"ons&ra&es her shif& fro" $ance &o fil", &he $is&ance fro" narra&ive cine"a&ic
conven&ions an$ cri&i4*e of &ra$i&ional s!ec&a&orial !osi&ions is !rono*nce$. Jf&en
consi$ere$ as a #in$ of earl) Hs#e&ch6 %i&hin Rainer6s oe*vre &ha& hasn6& 4*i&e "a$e &he
shif& fro" s&ae &o screen, &his fil" la)s bare Rainer6s fo*n$in s&ra&eies &ha& %ill o on
&o s*!!or& her increasinl) !oli&ical con&en&. ;n #ives of $erformers &here is no hiher
or$er or !*r!ose s&r*c&*rin &he ac&ion on screen an$ &he ele"en&s an$ sec&ions of &he
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fil" are s&r*n &oe&her li#e her *ninflec&e$ $ance !hrases8 no sinle !ar& is iven "ore
val*e, &he score is no& s*bservien& &o &he vis*als, &here is no cen&ral charac&er %i&h
%ho" %e i$en&if). Rainer sa)s &he &%o i$eas &ha& fra"e #ives of $erformers are 1$ance
an$ e"o&ional life2, (!. 1(() an$ &he fil" $oes revolve aro*n$ bo&h &he on an$ off,s&ae,
fic&ional an$ non,fic&ional ac&ivi&ies of a ro*! of $ancerD!erfor"ers. Foo&ae of $ance
rehearsals, $ra"a&ic enac&"en&s, !ho&o s&ills an$ &ablea*/ vivan&s are se& aains& a
so*n$ score &ha& co""en&s on an$ r*ns across &he ac&ion.
As Rainer !*&s i&, 1al&ho*h a ver) loa$e$ se& of circ*"s&ances beins &o e"ere2 in
#ives of $erformers, 1)o* canno& follo% &he s&or)2 (!!. (4?3). <hese circ*"s&ances are
crea&e$ &hro*h an e/!osi&ion of &he charac&ers6 !riva&e an$ e"o&ional lives via &he
s!o#en &e/& an$ cer&ain enac&e$ scenes an$ i"aes. >*& an) sense of a fic&ional
narra&ive is &h%ar&e$8 &he !erfor"ers6 real na"es are *se$ an$ are conse4*en&l) "i/e$
aro*n$, an$ &he $eree of realis" in &he na"in of &he cas& blee$s in&o &he ro"an&ic
involve"en&s an$ charac&er a&&rib*&es %hich co*l$ be "is&a#en as real (!. '9).
S!on&aneo*s, in&i"a&e an$ realis&ic ele"en&s are se& aains& &he con&rive$ an$ &hea&rical
&o s*bver& an) !ersis&en& sense of &he fic&ional8 &he la)erin of !erfor"ances is
confo*n$in. Des!i&e &his !la) on no&ions of Hcharac&er6, Rainer $oesn6& ba*l# fro" &he
*se of "elo$ra"a or co"e$) on screen %henever she sees fi&, as 7helan !oin&s o*&.
(-3) >*& &he "elo$ra"a&ic as!ec&s of &he fil"&al# of love, $esire an$ se/*al con&ac&,
scenes of e"o&ional in&i"ac), love &rianlesare co*n&ere$ b) &he fil"ic &rea&"en&
%hich &h%ar&s enre e/!ec&a&ions. <his s*bversion is !ar&ic*larl) !oin&e$ in &he $is&ance
&ha& &he co""en&ar) on &he ac&ions crea&es.
<he incl*sion of rehearsals or H%or#s,in,!roress6 %i&hin &he bo$) of &he fil"ic
!erfor"ance f*r&her co"!lica&es &he s!ec&a&or6s !osi&ion. Aiven &he &i&le of &he fil" %e
co*l$ e/!ec& &o see &he charac&ers oin abo*& &he b*siness of crea&in %or#, an$ &here
is ac&*al foo&ae fro" &he rehearsal of one of Rainer6s !ieces, Walk, %he %aid. >*& &he
fil" as a !erfor"ance is i&self in&err*!&e$ b) sli!!aes be&%een &he rehearsal an$ &he
rehearse$. <here is s!on&aneo*s la*hin in &he voiceover a& &he beinnin of &he fil"
$*rin %ha& co*l$ be loosel) &er"e$ an e/!osi&ion, s*es&in &ha& %e are hearin a
scri!& rea$in ra&her &han &he final &a#e. <his is co"!lica&e$ b) a!!aren& s!on&anei&)
%ri&&en in&o &he &e/&8 %e hear lines s*ch as 1Yvonne, %ere )o* rea$in &ha&M2 an$ 1; %as
rea$in a !ar& &ha& :ohn %o*l$ have rea$2, alon %i&h &he so*n$ of &*rnin !aes. <he
voiceover !*r!osel) conf*ses i"!rovise$ an$ scri!&e$ s!eech %i&h no "a&chin vis*al
reference !oin&s for clarifica&ion. Foo&ae of a $ance rehearsal is "ar#e$ b) re!e&i&ion
an$ "ono&on), has a "ess) 4*ali&) &ha& "a#es o*r vie%in feel !re"a&*re, an$ &he
s&ae$ Hscenes6 in &he $o"es&ic se& are a%#%ar$, *nre"ar#able an$ lac# &he $irec&ion of
!*r!ose e/!ec&e$ of a %ell,rehearse$ $ra"a&ic scene.
<he follo%in 4*o&a&ion rei&era&es Rainer6s co""en&s above rear$in &he *se of
e/cessive cine"a&ic "ove"en&s in shif&in &he !roression of &he fil" fro" &he
horiKon&al &o so"e&hin "ore Hver&ical6L
Where narrative seems to break down in my films is simply where it has been subsumed
by other concerns, such as the resonances created by repetition, stillness, allusion,
prolonged duration, fragmented speech and framing, &selfconscious camera movement,
etc. 'ather than being integrated into the story, these things at times replace the story.
(!. 13')
Jf&en, &he or$ers of cine"a&ic "ove"en& in #ives of $erformers no& onl) in&err*!&, b*&
over%hel", an) !ossibili&) of a horiKon&al $rive in &he fil". For ins&ance, &he !rolone$
sho& of Cal$a in her ne%l) arrive$ s*n visor e/cee$s an) sinif)in f*nc&ion. <here is
also a s*bs&an&ial a"o*n& of s&illness in &he fil", ei&her &hro*h &he freeKin of ac&ion or
sho&s ofD!ans over !ho&ora!hs. <he $irec&or s!en$s !recio*s fil" s&oc# on s&ill
!ho&ora!hs incl*$in i"aes fro" a $ance !erfor"ance &ha& &he cas& %ere involve$ in
.*s& !rior &o &he fil" bein "a$e, an$ her recons&r*c&ions of !ic&orial co"!osi&ions for
4
&he ca"era is s&rane an$ $is&*rbin. #ives of $erformers en$s %i&h a series of &ablea*/
vivan&s, 1re,enac&in &he series of !*blishe$ !ro$*c&ion s&ills fro" a scenario of
$andoras (ox2 (!. (-). @ove"en& an$ s&illness e/is& for &heir o%n choreora!hic
4*ali&ies, in$e!en$en& of narra&ive $e"an$s. Jne infl*ence on Rainer in &hese earl) fil"s
&ha& has no& receive$ "*ch a&&en&ion is &he role of cine"a&ora!her >abe&&e @anol&e,
recen&l) arrive$ &o +e% Yor# an$ !rior &o %or#in %i&h Chan&al A#er"an. (-') @anol&e
!rovi$es a lin# be&%een Rainer an$ &he innova&ive 7aris,base$ fil" $irec&or %hose
a&&en&ion &o screen !erfor"ance an$ an&i,narra&ive fil" "ove"en& "a#es her %or# of
relevance.
>o&h $ance as a &)!e of !erfor"ance alon %i&h a choreora!hic a!!roach &o o&her &)!es
of fi*ral an$ fil"ic "ove"en& fea&*re in #ives of $erformers, an$ Rainer6s
choreora!hic bac#ro*n$ is !erha!s "os& evi$en& in &his, her firs& fea&*re fil". She
$escribes &he scri!& for &his fil" as bein li#e choreora!hic $irec&ions, o*&linin
1ro*!ins an$ rero*!ins2 (!!. (4?3) an$ !oin&s &o her in&eres& in &he effec&s of
"ove"en& an$ s&illness as a res*l& of her 1$ance $a)s2 (!!. 139?9). >*& Rainer has
alrea$) "a$e &he shif& &o%ar$ a "ore cine"a&ic &)!e of !h)sical !erfor"ance. Jn &his
a$.*s&"en& Rainer %ri&esL
) was not only *ettisoning a whole lexicon of formali+ed movement and behaviour,
reali+ing instinctively that certain concessions to &lifelikeness would have to be made.
For the most part my speaking performers would be doing what people, or characters,
so often do in &the movies, sit around, eat, walk down the street, ride bicycles, look at
things etc. )f they danced in my early films, ) gave them good reason, assigning them
the occupation &dancer. (!. 93)
5hile $ancers $o $ance in #ives of $erformers, an e4*ali&) is es&ablishe$ be&%een &he
"ove"en&s of $ra"a an$ "ove"en&s i$en&ifie$ as H$ance6. Cario*s en&ries b) a
1!ro&aonis&2 (Cal$a Se&&erfiel$) in&o a roo" $*rin a s&ae !erfor"ance are c*&
&oe&her an$ $ra% o*r a&&en&ion &o &he !h)sical !erfor"ance &hro*h re!e&i&ion an$
varia&ion. <he sa"e %o"an !erfor"s a Hsolo6 in a s!o&lih&, crea&in sha!es %i&h her
ar"s, an$ &his s&)lise$ "ove"en& has &he sa"e !erfor"a&ive &one an$ ine/!licable
f*nc&ion as &he !revio*s e/a"!le.
<he role of choreora!h) %o*l$ chane &hro*ho*& Rainer6s fil" career. ;n rela&ion &o
-ourneys from (erlin./01/ (1990), Rainer sa)sL
%o ) guess the remnants of choreography and dance in my work manifest themselves in
a certain kind of attention to physicality and have been subsumed by movement of the
camera, framing and montage")n :o*rne)s fro" >erlin ) rehearsed"for over nine
months and every gesture was choreographed down to the blink of an eye. (-()
Ul&i"a&el) &here %as an increasin shif&
&o%ar$ $ialo*e in Rainer6s fil" %or#, %ha&
she calle$ 1&he lan*ae,orien&e$ s&ra&eies
of ") fil"s2, ivin &he e/a"!le of 2ristina
Talking $ictures (19(') %here charac&ers si&
*! in be$ an$ li&erall) 1)a! for for&) "in*&es2
(!. (9). >) &he &i"e %e e& &o -ourney from
(erlin./01/, +oel Carroll $eclares a revol*&ion
in &he s&r*c&*rall) obsesse$ A"erican avan&,
ar$e fil" scene, s&a&in &ha& in &his fil"
1lan*ae is "ore i"!or&an& &han i"ae2 (!.
1(0).
Rainer6s ro%in e"!hasis on lan*ae in her
fil"s is co*!le$ %i&h an increasin fascina&ion %i&h &heor) %hich is e/!ose$ in her fil"s
5
fro" Film 3bout a Woman Who" (19(4), %hich Rainer refers &o as 1!re,!oli&ical2, (!.
-'-) on. ;n Film 3bout a Woman Who", 2ristina Talking $ictures an$ -ourney from
(erlin./01/, &he s&ra&eies co"!lica&in !erfor"er an$ charac&er, fac& an$ fic&ion,
rehearsal an$ rehearse$, so*n$ an$ i"ae an$ &he "ani!*la&ion of cine"a&ic "ove"en&
or$ers o*&line$ above in rela&ion &o #ives of $erformers, are s&ill o!era&in an$ are
in&ensifie$, $evelo!in Rainer6s cri&i4*e of narra&ive fil" &echni4*es an$ rela&e$
s!ec&a&orial !rofiles. ;n 199-, Rainer $escribes &he 1s!ec&a&or,of,"),$rea"s2, %ho 1has
iven e4*al a&&en&ion &o &he fic&ions an$ &he !ro$*c&ion of &hese fic&ions2 (!!. -11?1-).
<here is also, across &hese fil"s, a ro%in !reocc*!a&ion %i&h fe"inis& an$
!s)choanal)&ic &heor) %hich lea#s in&o &he scri!& an$ i"aes, !rovi$in )e& ano&her
!erfor"a&ive la)er for &he $irec&or &o !la) %i&h. ;n &his sense Rainer shif&s fro" !re,
e"!&in &heor) &o $evelo!in alonsi$e an$ in $irec& res!onse &o i&, in a ver) H!*blic6
fashion. (-9) 5hen %e e& &o The Man Who 4nvied Women (1993) Rainer6s a&&i&*$e
rear$in &heor) has cr)s&allise$, "a&chin her eneral a&&i&*$e %hich is charac&erise$
b) 7helan as a 1!rofo*n$ !s)choloical a"bivalence an$ in&ellec&*al sce!&icis"2. (-9)
<he a"o*n& of &heor) bo&h 4*o&e$ %i&hin, an$ infor"in &he s&r*c&*re of, &his fil"
veres on &he ri$ic*lo*s8 a sense of !la) never aban$ons Rainer.
;n &his fil" Rainer %o*l$ 1&hro% $o%n &he a*n&le& &o !s)choanal)&ic fe"inis& fil"
&heor)2 (!. -0() an$, as she herself ac#no%le$es, s*ch a &as# re4*ires her &o &a#e on
&he ele"en&s of narra&ive cine"a &o an *n!rece$en&e$ $eree. Rainer ren$ers &he
fe"ale s*b.ec& in The Man Who 4nvied Women invisible, e/is&in onl) as a voice,over
!erfor"e$ b), coinci$en&all), &he in&ensel) e!he"eral choreora!herD$ancer <risha
>ro%n. >) alinin a*$ience i$en&ifica&ion %i&h an absen& fe"ale !ro&aonis& an$ havin
&he "ale lea$ !la)e$ b) &%o ac&ors, Rainer shor&,circ*i&s &he "ale,$o"ina&e$ !o%er
s&r*c&*res &ha& &he fe"inis& fil" &heoris&s ha$ fo*n$ &o be Hb*il& in&o6 cine"a&ic lan*ae.
Rainer &*rns &he "ale aKeDfe"ale ob.ec& for"*la on i&s hea$ b) re"ovin &he fe"ale
s!ec&acle an$ frac&*rin &he cen&ral, s&able "ale i$en&i&). ;n an in&ervie% a& &he &i"e The
Man Who 4nvied Women %as in $evelo!"en&, Rainer $escribes her co"!le/ rela&ion &o
&heor), no&in i&s ca!aci&) &o se$*ce an$ re"ar#in &ha& 1so"e&i"es rea$in S&e!hen
=ea&h is a &*rn on2 (!. 93). Rainer6s cri&i4*e of &heor) as bo&h ano&her fiel$ for !la)in
o*& !o%er rela&ions an$ a !erfor"ance &o be in&erroa&e$ so"eho% coe/is&s in her fil"s
%i&h a "obilisa&ion of #e) &heore&ical conce!&s for her o%n !*r!oses. ;n &he sa"e
in&ervie% Rainer a$"i&s &o $isco"for& %i&h &he lan*ae of &heor) %hich is evi$ence$ in
&he fil"8 &he scene in %hich &he cen&ral "ale charac&er, :ac# Dellar, $elivers a !hiloso!h)
lec&*re &o his s&*$en&s is so !rolone$, &he lec&*re so i"!ossible &o follo% an$ &he
ca"era so $is&rac&e$ (%an$erin &hro*ho*& &he s!ace), a cri&i4*e of &he H!erfor"ance6
of &heor) is achieve$. Rainer bo&h !resen&s an$ s*bver&s in &he sa"e aes&he&ic es&*re.
(30)
Rainer6s s*bversive s&ra&eies rear$in fil" for" have !rovi$e$ &he ro*n$%or# for no&
onl) her !hiloso!hical an$ fe"inis& s*b.ec& "a&&er, b*& an ever,broa$enin fiel$ of socio,
!oli&ical concerns bo&h lare an$ s"all8 fro" &he !oli&ics of +e% Yor# real es&a&e &o &he
clinical $e"onisin of "eno!a*se. As A$rian @ar&in %ri&es, Rainer has al%a)s been 1a
&o*h, cri&ical, ever sce!&ical !oli&ical ar&is&2, (31) b*& she is also one %ho never co""i&s
&he car$inal sin of losin her sense of h*"o*r. Rainer6s co""en&ar) is al%a)s
charac&erise$ b) sce!&icis" an$ iron) ra&her &han c)nicis" or !essi"is"8 she %an&s &o
!rovo#e, no& aliena&e.
;n a 1999 ar&icle, Rainer 4*es&ions &he role of an ar&is&ic !rac&ice c*& off fro"
con&e"!oraneo*s social reali&), !oin&in &o &he !os&"o$ern $ance ac&ivi&) of &he 6'0s
an$ 6(0s &ha& she %as so involve$ in as ar&is& an$ s!o#es!erson. ;n &his !a!er, she
s!ea#s o*& aains& 1ar&,"a#in as a*&ono"o*s an$ self,!er!e&*a&in e/ercises2 (!.
103). A )ear la&er Rainer releases $rivilege (%inner of &he Dra"a&ic Fil""a#er6s <ro!h),
S*n$ance Fil" Fes&ival, U&ah, 1991 an$ &he Ae)er 5er#e 7riKe a& &he ;n&erna&ional
Doc*"en&ar) Fil" Fes&ival, @*nich, 1991), a fil" &ha& has a blac#,on,%hi&e ac& of
violence a& i&s cen&re. As in "an) of Rainer6s fil"s, she co*!les her cen&ral i$ea %i&h
ano&her *nrela&e$ b*& co"!le"en&ar) one8 in &his case "eno!a*se an$ fe"ale ain.
6
Racial an$ econo"ic iss*es ave Rainer a
ne% foc*s &ha& e"ere$ fro" &he cri&i4*e
of fe"inis"6s %hi&e "i$$le,class !rofile.
7rior &o "a#in $rivilege, Rainer also
%or#e$ on a conference %i&h >NrNnice
Re)na*$, %exism, 5olonialism, and
Misrepresentation, (3-) %hich also
i"!ac&e$ *!on &he !oli&ical concerns in
her fil"s. Sco&& @acDonal$6s observa&ion
&ha& Rainer6s fil"s are a*&obiora!hical in
&he %a) &he) char& her &ho*h&s an$
!reocc*!a&ions see"s !ar&ic*larl) relevan& &o &his s&ae of her career. (!!. -49?9).
;n $rivilege, even "ore &han in The Man Who 4nvied Women, Rainer6s charac&ers have
aine$ a for"al consis&enc) &ha& s*!!or&s &he "ore $e"an$in &he"es, b*& an anarchic
a!!roach &o fil" for" re"ainsL &he fil" is sho& in a varie&) of for"a&s8 a sinle
"onolo*e is assine$ &o n*"ero*s ac&ors8 &he scri!& fea&*res %ha& Rainer &er"s her
1!laiaris& !rac&ices2 (!. -3-) of 4*o&in o&her %ri&ins an$ fil" foo&ae8 ac&ors a!!ear
in flashbac#s %i&h no a&&e"!& &o al&er &heir ae8 $oc*"en&ar),s&)le in&ervie%s %i&h ol$
frien$s are co"bine$ %i&h caref*ll) scri!&e$, fic&ional in&ervie%s8 an$ &he %ra!,!ar&) is
incl*$e$ a& &he en$ of &he fil". Jne sho& &ha& Rainer sinles o*& is a close,*! of &he
ra!is& acc*sin &he vic&i" of !rovo#in his ac&ions, b*& his "o*&h $oes no& "ove8 &he
!ers*asive close,*! is co*!le$ %i&h *nreliable $ialo*e an$ a severin of s*b.ec& an$
voice (!. -40). <he 4*es&ions Rainer is raisin abo*& racial an$ econo"ic !rivilee, an$
&he connec&ions be&%een &his an$ se/*al violence, are never ans%ere$ b*& lef& hanin
be&%een voices, bo$ies, i"aes.
M6'74' and murder (199', %inner of &he <e$$) A%ar$, >erlin Fil" Fes&ival, 199( an$
&he S!ecial :*r) A%ar$, @ia"i Iesbian an$ Aa) Fil" Fes&ival, 1999), %as "a$e af&er
Rainer6s charac&eris&icall) !*blic an$ !*blicl) self,anal)se$ Hco"in o*&6 as a lesbian in
1991. (33) <he fil" also corres!on$s %i&h Rainer6s breas& cancer $ianosis an$
"as&ec&o"). M6'74' and murder is consi$ere$ Rainer6s f*lles& co""i&"en& &o fic&ional
charac&erisa&ion, bein her firs& fil" &o ac&*all) !la) o*& a rela&ionshi! be&%een &%o
charac&ers on screen %i&h $ialo*es re!lacin "onolo*es. <he "a&*re lesbian co*!le a&
&he cen&re of &he fil" have re!lace$ &he )o*n $ancers ca*h& *! in he&erose/*al
liaisons in #ives of $erformers -4 )ears earlier, ca"era &echni4*es are "ore conven&ional
an$ Hs&able6, b*& cine"a&ic &i"e an$ s!ace s&ill !rovi$e Rainer %i&h !len&) of roo" &o
confo*n$ (!. -(0).
5i&h &he release of M6'74' and murder, re&ros!ec&ives of Rainer6s %or# %ere !resen&e$
a& &he @*se*" of @o$ern Ar& in San Francisco an$ &he Fil" Socie&) of Iincoln Cen&er,
+e% Yor#. Rainer6s "os& recen& %or# %as a choreora!hic co""ission for @i#hail
>ar)shni#ov6s 5hi&e Ja# $ance !ro.ec&, 3fter Many a %ummer 7ies the %wan, %hich she
&ransla&e$ &o fil" in -00-. 3fter Many a %ummer 7ies the %wan, 8ybrid "ar#s a re&*rn
%i&hin Rainer6s fil" %or# &o choreora!hic "a&erial. <he fil" &a#es i&s na"e fro" an
Al$o*s =*/le) boo# abo*& a $eca$en& "illionaire6s !*rs*i& of i""or&ali&) se& in &he
1930s. <he shor& fil" .*/&a!oses rehearsal foo&ae fro" &he 5hi&e Ja# !erfor"ance an$
her research in&o &*rn,of,&he,cen&*r) Cienna. Ann Dal) $escribes &he vi$eo as 1a $ense,
fra"en&e$ collae of "ovin an$ s&a&ic i"aes, alon %i&h &%o se&s of a!horis&ic &e/&s2
(34). ;n &he sa"e )ear, Rosen%al$,5olf Aaller) a& &he Universi&) of &he Ar&s in
7hila$el!hia "o*n&e$ a re&ros!ec&ive e/hibi&ion, 9vonne 'ainer, 'adial -uxtapositions
/0:/;<==<, %hich fea&*re$ an ins&alla&ion version of 3fter Many a %ummer 7ies the
%wan, 8ybrid. <he e/hibi&ion also fea&*re$ a secon$ ins&alla&ion b) fil""a#er Charles
A&las, 'ainer >ariations (-00-), a "on&ae $ealin %i&h Rainer6s career *sin real an$
si"*la&e$ in&ervie%s an$ rehearsal foo&ae. <he e/hibi&ion also fea&*re$ fil" screenins,
!ho&os, !os&ers, "an*scri!&s an$ no&eboo#s. Rainer has also receive$ &%o A*enhei"
Fello%shi!s, a 5e/ner 7riKe an$ a @acCar&h*r Fello%shi! an$ c*rren&l) &eaches a& &he
;n$e!en$en& S&*$) 7rora""e, 5hi&ne) @*se*", +e% Yor#.
7
Fil"ora!h)
As $irec&orD%ri&erL
>olleyball (Foo& Fil") (19'() shor&
8and Movie (19'9) shor&
'hode )sland 'ed (19'9) shor&
Trio Film (19'9) shor&
Line (19'9) shor&
Lives of Performers (19(-? also !erfor"er, e$i&or
Film 3bout a Woman Who" (19(4) also !erfor"er, narra&or, e$i&or
Kristina Talking Pictures (19('? also !erfor"er, e$i&or
-ourney from (erlin./01/ (1990) also !erfor"er, e$i&or
The Man Who 4nvied Women (1993) also !erfor"er, e$i&or
Privilege (1991) also !erfor"er, e$i&or
MR!ER an" mur"er (199') also !erfor"er, e$i&or
3fter Many a %ummer 7ies the %wan, 8ybrid (-00-) shor&, also !ro$*cer, e$i&or
>ibliora!h)
Articles# $ooks an" scri%ts $& Rainer'
16+o6 &o S!ec&acleO2, Tulane 7rama 'eview, P10, 19'3
1A Q*asi S*rve) of So"e H@ini"alis&6 <en$encies in &he Q*an&i&a&ivel) @ini"al Dance
Ac&ivi&) A"i$s& &he 7le&hora, or an Anal)sis of Trio 32, Areor) >a&&oc# (e$.), Minimal
3rt, 5ritical 3nthology, +e% Yor#, B.7. D*&&on, 19'9
Work, /0:/?1@, +e% Yor#, +e% Yor# Universi&) 7ress, 19(4
1>einnin %i&h So"e A$ver&ise"en&s for Cri&icis"s of @)self, Jr Dra%in &he Do Yo*
@a) 5an& &o Use &o >i&e @e 5i&h, an$ <hen Aoin Jn &o J&her @a&&ers2, Millennium Film
-ournal, P', S!rin 1990 R
1Ioo#in @)self in &he @o*&h2, !ctober, P1(, S*""er 1991 R
1@ore Eic#in an$ Screa"in fro" &he +arra&ive Fron&D>ac#%a&er2, Wide 3ngle, vol. (,
n. 1?-, S!rin 1993 R
8
1So"e R*"ina&ions Aro*n$ Cine"a&ic Anec$o&es &o &he Je$i!al +e&(&les) %hile 7la)in
%i&h $e Ia*rae$i!*s @*lve), or =e @a) >e Jff,Screen, b*&O2 The )ndependent, vol. 9, n.
3, A!ril 199' R
1<ho*h&s on 5o"en6s Cine"aL Ba&in 5or$s, Coicin S&r*les2, The )ndependent, vol.
10, n. 3, A!ril 199( R
The Films of 9vonne 'ainer, >loo"in&on, ;n$iana Universi&) 7ress, 1999
15or#in Aro*n$ &he I,5or$2, Aueer #ooks, $erspectives on #esbian and Bay Film and
>ideo, +e% Yor#, Ro*&le$e, 1993 R
Talking $ictures, Filme, Feminismus, $sychanalyse, 3vantgarde, Cienna, 7assaen
Cerla, 1994
17rivilee2 (fil"scri!&), Sco&& @acDonal$ (e$.), %creen Writings, %cripts and texts by
)ndependent Filmmakers, >er#ele), Universi&) of California 7ress, 1993 R
1@URDBR an$ @*r$er2 (fil"scri!&), $erforming 3rts -ournal, P33, 199( R
3 Woman Who" 4ssays, )nterviews, %cripts, >al&i"ore S Ion$on, <he :ohns =o!#ins
Universi&) 7ress, 1999 (also incl*$es a "ore co"!rehensive bibliora!h))
Articles an" $ooks on Rainer'
Sall) >anes, Terpsichore in %neakers, $ostModern 7ance, >os&on, =o*h&on @ifflin,
1990
Sall) >anes, 1Iives of 7erfor"ersL Anne&&e @ichelson Disc*sses Ac&in in -ourneys from
(erlin2, Millennium Film -ournal, P(, 9 S 9, Fall 1990?5in&er 1991
Sall) >anes, Breenwich >illage /0:@, D*rha", D*#e Universi&) 7ress, 1993
Sall) >anes, Writing 7ancing, in the 3ge of $ostmodernism, 5esle)en Universi&) 7ress,
+e% Bnlan$, 1994
IiK >aer an$ 5illo*hb) Shar!, 1<he 7erfor"er as a 7ersonaL An ;n&ervie% %i&h Yvonne
Rainer2, 3valanche P3, S*""er 19(-
@a*rice >erer, 1<he CaveL Jn Yvonne Rainer6s $rivilege2, 3rtforum, vol. -9, n. 3,
+ove"ber 1990
I)n >l*"en&hal, 1Jn Ar& an$ Ar&is&sL Yvonne Rainer2, $rofile 4L3, Fall 1994
Ea&e >ris an$ Fiona @acDonal$. 1<hree 7ossible Bn$inL An ;n&ervie% %i&h Yvonne
Rainer2, $hotofile, P30, 5in&er 1990
+oel Carroll, 1;n&ervie% %i&h a 5o"an 5hoO2, Millennium Film -ournal, P(, 9 S 9, Fall
1990?5in&er 1991 R
Ca"era Jbsc*ra Collec&ive, 1Yvonne RainerL An ;n&ro$*c&ion2, 1A!!en$i/L Rainer6s
Descri!&ions of =er Fil"s2 S 1Yvonne RainerL ;n&ervie%2, R 5amera !bscura, P1, Fall
19('
9
Anna C. Chave, 1@ini"alis" an$ >iora!h)2, The 3rt (ulletin, vol. 9-, n. 1, @arch -00-
Ann Dal), 1<he =)bri$ Yvonne RainerL Avan&,Aar$e Aes&he&e, U&o!ian Ac&ivis&2, The
5hronicle of 8igher 4ducation, P--, +ove"ber -00-
:an Da%son, 1A 5orl$ >e)on$ Fre*$2, %ight and %ound, vol. 49, n. 3, S*""er 1990
<eresa $e Ia*re&is, 3lice 7oesnt, Feminism, %emiotics, 5inema, >loo"in&on, ;n$iana
Universi&) 7ress, 1994
<eresa $e Ia*re&is, 1S&ra&eies of CoherenceL +arra&ive Cine"a, Fe"inis& 7oe&ics, an$
Yvonne Rainer2, Technologies of Bender, 4ssays on Theory Film and Fiction,
>loo"in&on, ;n$iana Universi&) 7ress, 199(
Rachel Fensha" an$ :*$e 5al&on, 16+a"in @)self, an in&ervie% %i&h Yvonne Rainer2,
Writings !n 7ance, P(, 5in&er 1991
Aabrielle Finnane, 1Disc*ssin $rivilegeL an in&ervie% %i&h Yvonne Rainer2, 5ontinuum,
The 3ustralian -ournal of Media and 5ulture 3L-, 1990
I*c) Fischer, 1<he Dialoic <e/&, an B!ilo*e2, %hot.5ountershot, Film Tradition and
Womens 5inema, 7rince&on, 7rince&on Universi&) 7ress, 1999
<h)rKa Aoo$eve, 1Yvonne RainerL Ris#s, be&%een Yo* an$ @e2, 3rt in 3merica, vol. 93,
n. (, :*l) 199(
Shelle) R. Areen, 'adical -uxtaposition, The Films of 9vonne 'ainer, @e&*chen, <he
Scarecro% 7ress, 1994
Davi$ B. :a"es, 1Yvonne RainerL Film 3bout a Woman Who"2, 3llegories of 5inema,
3merican Film in the %ixties, 7rince&on, 7rince&on Universi&) 7ress, 1999
Ialeen :a)a"anne %i&h Aee&a Ea!*r an$ Yvonne Rainer, 1Disc*ssin @o$erni&), <hir$
5orl$ an$ The Man Who 4nvied Women2, 3rt and Text, vol. -3, n. 4, @arch?@a) 199(
:ill :ohns&on, 1<he +e% A"erican @o$ern Dance2, Richar$ Eos&elane&K (e$.), The Cew
3merican 3rts, +e% Yor#, Collier >oo#s, 19'3
:ill :ohns&on, 1:*$son 19'4L Bn$ of an Bra, (allet 'eview, vol. 1, n. ', 19'(
:ill :ohns&on, 1Rainer6s @*scle2, Marmalade Me, +e% Yor#, B. 7. D*&&on, 19(1
Ann B. Ea!lan, Women and Film, (oth %ides of the 5amera, +e% Yor#, @e&h*en, 1993
Ann B. Ea!lan, #ooking for the !ther, Feminism, Film and the )mperial Ba+e, +e% Yor#,
Ro*&le$e, 199(
Anne&&e E*hn, Womens $ictures, Feminism and 5inema, Ion$on, Ro*&le$e S Eean
7a*l, 199-
Carrie Ia"ber&, 1@ovin S&illL @e$ia&in Yvonne Rainer6s Trio A2, !ctober, P99, S*""er
1999
10
Yann Iar$ea*, 1Yvonne Rainer, -ourneys from (erlin./01/2, 5ahiers du cinema, P31',
Jc&ober 1990
Sco&& @acDonal$, 1De")s&if)in &he Fe"ale >o$)L ;n&ervie%s %i&h Anne Severson an$
Yvonne Rainer2, Film Auarterly, vol. 43, n. 1, Fall 1991 R
Sco&& @acDonal$, 1Yvonne Rainer2, 3 5ritical 5inema <, >er#ele), Universi&) of California
7ress, 199-
Sco&& @acDonal$, 1Yvonne Rainer, -ourneys from (erlin./01/2, 3vantBarde Film, Motion
%tudies, Ca"bri$e Universi&) 7ress, Ca"bri$e, 1993
:*$i&h @a)ne, 1Screen&es&s2, The Woman at the 2eyhole, >loo"in&on, ;n$iana
Universi&) 7ress, 1990
:*$i&h @a)ne, 1<heor) S!ea#(s)2, Rainer, 1999
:onas @e#as, 1;n&ervie% %i&h Yvonne Rainer2, >illage >oice, A!ril -3, 19(4
:onas @e#as, 1Yvonne Rainer6s Film 3bout a Woman Who2, >illage >oice, Dece"ber 3,
19(4
7a&ricia @ellanca"!, 1;"aes of Ian*ae an$ Discree& Dialo*eL The Man Who 4nvied
Women2, %creen, vol. -9, n. -, S!rin 199(
7a&ricia @ellanca"!, 1Five Aes of Fil" Fe"inis"2, Ialeen :a)a"anne (e$.), 2iss Me
7eadly, Feminism and 5inema for the Moment, S)$ne), 7o%er 7*blica&ions, 1993
Anne&&e @ichelson, 1Yvonne Rainer, 7ar& 1L <he Dancer an$ &he Dance2, 3rtforum 1-L3,
:an*ar) 19(4
Anne&&e @ichelson, 1Yvonne Rainer, 7ar& -L #ives of $erformers2, 3rtforum, vol. 1-, n. ',
Febr*ar) 19(4
:ohn @*eller, 1Yvonne Rainer6s Trio 3H, 7ance Maga+ine, vol. 33, n. 3, @arch 19(9
Ia*ra @*lve), 1Fe"inis", Fil" an$ &he Avan& Aar$e2, Framework, P10, S!rin 19(9
7e) 7helan, 1S!a&ial Bnv)L Yvonne Rainer6s The Man Who 4nvied Women2, Motion
$icture, vol. 1, n. 3, 5in&er?S!rin 199(
7e) 7helan, 1Fe"inis& <heor), 7os&s&r*c&*ralis" an$ 7erfor"ance2, The 7rama 'eview,
vol. 3-, n. 1, S!rin 1999
7e) 7helan, 1Yvonne RainerL Fro" Dance &o Fil"2 in Rainer, 1999
Ia*ren Rabinovi&K, $oints of 'esistance, Women, $ower and $olitics in the Cew 9ork
3vantBarde 5inema, /0D@?1/, Urbana, Universi&) of ;llinois, 1991
>NrNnice Re)na*$, 1;"!ossible 7ro.ec&ions2 in Rainer, 19(4
R*b) Rich, 1Yvonne RainerL An ;n&ro$*c&ion2 in Rainer, 19(4
11
:ona&han Rosenba*", 1As!ec&s of &he Avan&,Aar$eL <hree ;nnova&ors2, 3merican Film,
vol. 3, n. 10, Se!&e"ber 19(9
:ona&han Rosenba*", 1B/!lora&ionsL <he A"bi*i&ies of Yvonne Rainer2, 3merican Film,
vol. 3, n. 3, @arch 1990
:ona&han Rosenba*", 1Yvonne Rainer2, Film, The Front #ine/0E@, Denver, Ar$en 7ress,
1993
@i&chell Rosenba*", 1;n&ervie% %i&h Yvonne Rainer2, $ersistence of >ision, P', S*""er
1999
Ea.a Silver"an, 1Dis,B"bo$)in &he Fe"ale Coice2 in @ar) Ann Doane, 7a&ricia
@ellanca"! an$ Iin$a 5illia"s (e$s), 'e>ision, 4ssays in Feminist Film 5riticism,
Fre$eric# @$., Universi&) 7*blica&ions of A"erica an$ &he A"erican Fil" ;ns&i&*&e, 1994
Ann Sarean& 5oos&er, 1Yvonne Rainer6s -ourneys from (erlin./01/2, The 7rama 'eview,
vol. -4, n. -, :*ne 1990
R Re!rin&e$ in Rainer, 1999
Ar&icles in %enses of 5inema
From O$(ect)oo" to *u$(ect Matter' Yvonne Rainer+s Transition from !ance to
Film b) :ona&han 5alle)
5eb Reso*rces
Feli,
Rainer6s res!onse &o a $isc*ssion
rear$in racial !rivilee an$
re!resen&a&ion in her fil" $rivilege.
Film !irectors - Articles on t)e
Internet
Iin#s &o several online ar&icles.
Insoun"
;n&ervie% %i&h Rainer.
.eitgeist Films
;ncl*$es a bio an$ s)no!ses of her fil"s.
Earl& life
Rainer %as born in &he Rich"on$ $is&ric& of San Francisco &o !aren&s, :ose!h an$
:eane&&e, %ho consi$ere$ &he"selves ra$icals. As a chil$, she %as sen& &o live a&
S*nn)si$e, a boar$in ins&i&*&ion in 7alo Al&o, %i&h her ol$er bro&her ;van for several
)ears. =er !aren&s visi&e$ &he" each S*n$a) in &heir 1939 7on&iac Se$an. >) 1941, she
12
"ove$ bac# %i&h her !aren&s a& &he ae of seven &o a ne% ho*se in &he S*nse& &ha& she
$escribes as Tan *nfa"iliar neihborhoo$ of %hi&e !ro&es&an& %or#in class fa"ilies.T
Fro" &he ae of &%elve, she ha$ been Te/!ose$ &o &he hea$) co""inlin of !oe&s,
!ain&ers, %ri&ers, an$ ;&alian anarchis&s.T She %en& &o Io%ell =ih, an$ af&er ra$*a&ion,
she a&&en$e$ San Francisco :*nior Collee for a )ear, &hen >er#ele) for a %ee#. She
$ro!!e$ o*& of collee b) &he en$ of Se!&e"ber 193-.
A& a ver) )o*n ae
FvagueG
, her fa&her in&ro$*ce$ her &o fil"s, %hile her "o&her in&ro$*ce$
her &o balle&. 5hile she %as s&ill a& S*nn)si$e, her "o&her enrolle$ her in $ance classes.
Rainer %ri&es,
; a" five or si/ %hen ") "o&her enrolls "e in a $ance school a fe% bloc#s fro"
S*nn)si$e. Af&er bein &a#en &o &he school several &i"es, ; a" e/!ec&e$ &o %al# &here b)
")self once a %ee#...All &he li&&le irls are able &o &o*ch &he bac#s of &heir hea$s %i&h
&heir &oes. ;& see"s &o "e &ha& ; a" &he onl) one %ho canU&.
Rainer fo*n$ herself hanin o*& a& &he Cellar aro*n$ 1933, %here she %o*l$ lis&en &o
!oe&s acco"!anie$ b) cool .aKK. ;& %as here &ha& she "e& Al =el$, a !ain&er. =e
in&ro$*ce$ her &o vario*s ar&is&s %ho" %ere na&ives of +e% Yor#. ;& %as in A**s& 193',
&ha& she follo%e$ Al &o +e% Yor# a& &he ae of &%en&),&%o.
; re"e"ber %al#in $o%n 3&h Aven*e !as& @a$ison S4*are 7ar#, over%hel"e$ b) an
ineffable sense of infini&e !ossibili&). So"eone else "ih& have $escribe$ i& as a
Ucon4*er,&he,%orl$U #in$ of feelin. For "e i& %as si"!l) !*re o!en,"in$e$ e/ci&e"en&.
<ho*h ; ha$ no i$ea %ha& &he f*&*re hel$, i& %as alrea$) sinalin %i&h o!en ar"s.
Fcitation neededG
;& %as Doll) Casella, a close frien$, %ho in&ro$*ce$ Rainer &o &he $ance classes of B$i&h
S&e!hen, a "o$ern $ancer. She %en& &o her firs& a$*l& $ance class %i&h S&e!hen %ho
&ol$ her &ha& she %as no& ver) T&*rne$ o*&.T Rainer a$"i&s, T5ha& she $i$nU& sa) %as
so"e&hin &ha& ; %o*l$ ra$*all) reconiKe in &he ne/& co*!le of )ears, &ha& ") lac# of
&*rn,o*& an$ li"berness co*!le$ %i&h a lon bac# an$ shor& les %o*l$ re$*ce ")
chances of !erfor"in %i&h an) es&ablishe$ $ance co"!an).T ;n 1939, she bean
s&*$)in a& &he @ar&ha Araha" School an$ la&er %i&h :a"es 5arin an$ @erce
C*nninha".
F1G
/e"it0 !ance an" c)oreogra%)ic 1ork
<here is a lo& of es&*re in ") s&*ffalso so*n$s an$ "ove"en&s &ha& acco"!an) &he".
; i"aine %ha& co"es across is inconr*i&), biKarre"a)be o$$ or eccen&rical&ho*h ;
"a#e no conscio*s a&&e"!&s a& h*"or. @) i"ae so"e&i"es &a#es &he for" of a
$isorien&a&e$ bo$) in %hich one !ar& $oesnU& #no% %ha& &he o&her !ar& is $oin.
F-G
Rainer %as one of &he oraniKers of &he :*$son Dance <hea&er, a focal !oin& for
van*ar$ ac&ivi&) in &he postmodern dance %orl$ &hro*ho*& &he 19'0s, an$ she for"e$
her o%n co"!an) af&er &he :*$son !erfor"ances en$e$. Rainer is no&e$ for an a!!roach
&o $ance &ha& &rea&s &he bo$) "ore as &he so*rce of an infini&e varie&) of "ove"en&s
&han as &he !*rve)or of e"o&ion or $ra"a. @an) of &he ele"en&s she e"!lo)e$s*ch as
re!e&i&ion, !a&&ernin, &as#s, an$ a"esla&er beca"e s&an$ar$ fea&*res of "o$ern
$ance.
;n her earl) $ances, Rainer foc*se$ on so*n$s an$ "ove"en&s, an$ of&en .*/&a!ose$
&he &%o in arbi&rar) co"bina&ions. So"e%ha& ins!ire$ b) &he chance &ac&ics favore$ b)
C*nninha", Rainer6s choreora!h) %as a co"bina&ion of classical $ance s&e!s
con&ras&e$ %i&h ever)$a), or$inar), !e$es&rian "ove"en&. She *se$ a rea& $eal of
13
re!e&i&ion, an$ e"!lo)e$ narra&ive an$ verbal noises (incl*$in %ails, r*n&s, "*"bles,
s4*ea#s, an$ shrie#s, e&c.) %i&hin &he bo$) of her $ances.
Re!e&i&ion an$ so*n$ %ere e"!lo)e$ in her firs& choreora!he$ !iece, Three %atie
%poons (19'1), a solo !erfor"e$ b) Rainer. She "a$e s4*ea#in noises &hro*ho*& &he
!iece an$ sai$, 1<he rass is reener %hen &he s*n is )ello%.
F3G
2 Jver &i"e her %or#
shif&e$ &o *se "ore narra&ive an$ cohesive s!o#en %or$. !rdinary 7ance (19'-) %as a
co"bina&ion of "ove"en& an$ narra&ive, an$ fea&*re$ &he re!e&i&ion of si"!le
"ove"en&s %hile Rainer reci&e$ a !oe&ic a*&obiora!h). Jne charac&eris&ic of Rainer6s
earl) choreora!h) %as her fascina&ion %i&h *sin non,$ancer !erfor"ers. We %hall 'un
(19'3) ha$ seven !erfor"ers, bo&h $ancers an$ non,$ancers cla$ in s&ree& clo&hes %ho
ran aro*n$ &he s&ae for &%elve "in*&es crea&in vario*s floor !a&&erns &o "*sic b)
>erlioK.
F4G
A &*rnin !oin& in Rainer6s choreora!h) ca"e in 19'4, %hen, in an effor& &o s&ri!
"ove"en&s of &heir e/!ressive 4*ali&ies, she &*rne$ &o a"e s&r*c&*res &o crea&e %or#s.
All "ove"en& ai"e$ &o be $irec&, f*nc&ional, an$ &o avoi$ s&)liKa&ion. ;n so $oin, she
ai"e$ &o re"ove &he $ra"a fro" &he $ance "ove"en&, an$ &o 4*es&ion &he role of
en&er&ain"en& in $ance. <hro*ho*& &his s&ae of her choreora!h) she %or#e$ &o%ar$s
"ove"en& beco"in so"e&hin of an ob.ec&, &o be e/a"ine$ %i&ho*& an) !s)choloical,
social or for"al "o&ives. She o!&e$ for ne*&rali&) in her $ances, !resen&in &he ob.ec&ive
!resence of &he h*"an bo$) an$ i&s "ove"en&s, an$ ref*se$ &o !ro.ec& a !ersona or
crea&e a narra&ive %i&hin her $ances. ;n 19'3, as a reac&ion &o "an) of &he !revio*sl)
s&a&e$ feelins, Rainer crea&e$ her T+o @anifes&o,T %hich %as a s&ra&e) for"*la&e$ &o
$e")s&if) $anceL
NO to s%ectacle2
No to virtuosit&2
No to transformations an" magic an" make3$elieve2
No to t)e glamour an" transcen"enc& of t)e star image2
No to t)e )eroic2
No to t)e anti3)eroic2
No to tras) imager&2
No to involvement of %erformer or s%ectator#
No to st&le2
No to cam%2
No to se"uction of s%ectator $& t)e 1iles of t)e %erformer2
No to eccentricit&2
No to moving or $eing move"2
F3G
<his e/!lora&ion in re$*cin $ance &o &he essen&ials cli"a/e$ %i&h one of Rainer6s "os&
fa"o*s !ieces, Trio 3 (19''), ini&iall) !ar& of a larer %or# en&i&le$ The Mind )s a
Muscle. So"e&hin of a !ara$i"a&ic s&a&e"en& &ha& 4*es&ione$ &he aes&he&ic oals of
!os&"o$ern $ance, Trio 3 %as a shor& $ance &ha& consis&e$ of one lon !hrase. ;n Trio
3, Rainer a&&e"!&e$ &o re"ove ob.ec&s fro" &he $ance %hile si"*l&aneo*sl) re&ainin a
%or#"anli#e a!!roach of &as#,base$ !erfor"ance. +o& si"!le b*& cer&ainl) no& fanc), i&
%as a $e"an$in !iece of %or#, bo&h &o %a&ch an$ &o !erfor". She e/!lore$ s*ch
$)na"ics as re!e&i&ion, &he $is&rib*&ion of ener), an$ !hrasin. <he "ove"en&
consis&e$ of &as#,orien&e$ ac&ions, e"!hasiKin ne*&ral !erfor"ance an$ fea&*rin no
in&erac&ion %i&h &he a*$ience. <he $ancer %as &o never "a#e e)e con&ac& %i&h her
observers, an$ in &he case &ha& &he "ove"en& re4*ire$ &he $ancer &o face &he a*$ience,
&he e)es %ere &o be aver&e$ fro" &he a*$ience or &he hea$ %as &o be involve$ in
"ove"en&. As &he @*se*" of @o$ern Ar& $escribes i&L T;& free$ &he $ancerUs bo$) fro"
&he rii$ fra"en&a&ion an$ ar&ificiali&) of choreora!he$ "ove"en&.T
F'G
<he firs& &i"e
&he !iece %as !erfor"e$ i& %as en&i&le$ The Mind is a Muscle, $art /, an$ %as !erfor"e$
b) a se& of &hree si"*l&aneo*s solos b) Rainer, S&eve 7a/&on, an$ Davi$ Aor$on. Trio 3
has been %i$el) a$a!&e$ an$ in&er!re&e$ b) o&her choreora!hers.
14
Rainer has choreora!he$ "ore &han 40 concer& %or#s.
A fe% of her o&her %or#s incl*$eL

Three %eascapes (19'1) a solo of Rainer6s consi$ere$ &o be ra$ical beca*se &he
finale fea&*re$ Rainer screa"in %il$l) an$ &hrashin aro*n$ &he s!ace.
F(G

Terrain (19'-) %as Rainer6s firs& evenin len&h %or#. ;& ha$ several sec&ions,
incl*$in &%o 1<al#in Solos,2 %hich %ere a*&obiora!hical s&ories reci&e$ &o an
*nrela&e$ "ove"en& !hrase.
F9G

5ontinuous $ro*ect3ltered 7aily (19'9) %as ins&alle$ a& &he Cas&elli 5areho*se
in =arle". ;& !ro$*ce$ Ts!on&aneo*s behavior %i&hin a for"al se&&in.T

War an an&i%ar $ance !erfor"e$ b) &hir&) !eo!le a& Do*lass Collee !ro&es&in
Cie&na" in 19(0.

%treet 3ction a !erfor"ance &o !ro&es& &he Ca"bo$ian invasion in 19(0. Cis*all),
&here %ere &hree col*"ns of !eo!le %earin blac# ar"ban$s %hile %al#in %i&h
&heir hea$s $o%n.
F9G

This is the story of a woman whoO (19(3) %as one of Rainer6s "an) %or#s &ha&
*se$ ob.ec&s inves&e$ %i&h s&ron "eanins an$ a&&e"!&e$ &o s&ri! &he" of &ha&
"eanin. ;n &his %or# she *se$ a *n b*& ins&r*c&e$ &he $ancers &o never !oin&
or fire i& a& an)one.
F10G
/e"it0 4inematic 1ork
; "a$e &he &ransi&ion fro" choreora!h) &o fil""a#in be&%een 19(- an$ 19(3. ;n a
eneral sense ") b*reonin fe"inis& conscio*sness %as an i"!or&an& fac&or. An e4*all)
*ren& s&i"*l*s %as &he encroachin !h)sical chanes in ") ain bo$).
F11G
Rainer so"e&i"es incl*$e$ fil"e$ se4*ences in her $ances, an$ in &he "i$,19(0s she
bean &o &*rn her a&&en&ion &o fil" $irec&in. =er earl) fil"s $o no& follo% narra&ive
conven&ions, ins&ea$ co"binin reali&) an$ fic&ion, so*n$ an$ vis*als, &o a$$ress social
an$ !oli&ical iss*es. Rainer $irec&e$ several e/!eri"en&al fil"s abo*& $ance an$
!erfor"ance, incl*$in #ives of $erformers (19(-), Film 3bout a Woman Who (19(4),
an$ 2ristina Talking $ictures (19('). =er la&er fil"s incl*$e The Man Who 4nvied
Women (1993), $rivilege (1990), an$ M6'74' and murder (199'). M6'74' and
murder, "ore conven&ional in i&s narra&ive s&r*c&*re, is a lesbian love s&or) as %ell as a
reflec&ion on *rban life an$ on breas& cancer, an$ i& fea&*res Rainer. =er fil" %or#
F1-G
has
receive$ several a%ar$s, an$ in 1990 she %as a reci!ien& of a @acAr&h*r Fo*n$a&ion
fello%shi!.
Shor& s)no!sesL
F13G
-ourneys From (erlin./01/ e/!lores &he ra"ifica&ions of &erroris"
2ristina Talking $ictures loo#s a& &he con&ra$ic&ions be&%een &he !riva&e an$
!*blic !ersona
#ives of $erformers is abo*& a "an %ho canno& $eci$e be&%een &%o %o"en
The Man Who 4nvied Women is a fil" abo*& &he brea#*! of a "arriae
M6'74' and murder (see !arara!h above)
3 Film 3bout a Woman Who... is consi$ere$ RainerUs lan$"ar# fil", abo*& a
%o"an %i&h se/*al $issa&isfac&ion
$rivilege a fil" abo*& "eno!a*se.
/e"it0 Feminism
As a %hi&e, *nconscio*sl) a"bi&io*s ar&is&, oblivio*s &o ar& %orl$ se/is" an$ racis" an$
ensconce$ in $ancin (a sociall) acce!&able fe"ale !*rs*i&), ; s&ar&e$ rea$in &he anr)
15
e/!eri"en&al %ri&in in Robin @oranUs an&holo) %isterhood )s $owerful an$ &he fier)
!ole"ics of Calerie SolanaUs %56M Manifesto an$ Sh*la"i&h Fires&oneUs 7ialectics of %ex
Rea$in fe"inis& %ri&in an$ &heor) allo%e$ Rainer &o e/a"ine her o%n e/!erience as a
%o"an, an$ she %as able &o &hin# of herself as a !ar&ici!an& in c*l&*re an$ socie&). Ii&&le
$i$ Rainer realiKe &ha& her !rior choreora!h) %as a $irec& challene of &he T&ra$i&ionalT
$ance an$ *l&i"a&el) fe"inis& in na&*re. <hro*ho*& &he 1990s, Rainer %as celiba&e, an$
she %as $e&er"ine$ Tno& &o en&er in&o an) "ore ill,fa&e$ he&erose/*al a$ven&*res...T
She bean a&&en$in Aa) 7ri$e 7ara$es an$ consi$ere$ herself a T!oli&ical lesbian.T
Rainer !ar&ici!a&e$ in a $e"ons&ra&ion in +e% Yor# an$ 5ashin&on D.C. &o !ro&es& &he
challenes &o 'oe v. Wade $*rin &his sa"e &i"e !erio$. A& &he ae of 3', she overca"e
her fears of i$en&if)in as a lesbian b) beco"in in&i"a&e %i&h @ar&ha Aever. She sa)s i&
%as Te*!horic.T <he) are s&ill &oe&her &o$a).
Fe"inis& A*$re Ior$eUs fa"o*s s&a&e"en& !ose$, TYo* canU& $is"an&le &he "as&erUs
ho*se *sin &he "as&erUs &ools.T Rainer reb*&&e$ her &heor) b) s&a&in, TYo* can, if )o*
e/!ose &he &ools.T
F14G
Yvonne Rainer#
Feelings are facts: A life2
MIT Press# 56672
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Feelings are facts ives all &he *s*al in$ica&ions of si"!l) bein an a*&obiora!h) , in
&his case of choreora!her,c*",fil""a#er Yvonne Rainer , b*& &ha& is no& 4*i&e %ha& i&
is, an$ for a co*!le of reasons. Firs& of all beca*se of i&s enesisL 1; s&ar&e$ &his "e"oir
beca*se ; %as s&*"!e$, ca*h& *! shor&, a& a loss2 (/iii). 5ha& s&o!!e$ Rainer in her
&rac#s %as her o%n in&i"a&e an$ ver&iino*s enco*n&er %i&h &he even&s of Se!&e"ber
11, -001. Jr, ra&her, i& %as &he *lf be&%een &ho*h& an$ ac&ion overnin &he !oli&ical
res!onse &o Se!&e"ber 11 , &he fail*re of &ho*h& an$ &he lea! in&o ac&ion , %hich she
fo*n$ &o be !aral)sin an$ 1an insol*ble obs&acle &o crea&ive ren$erin2 (/iv). Ra&her
&han r*shin hea$lon in&o &his obs&acle, Rainer ins&ea$ &oo# a bac#%ar$s s&e!, &racin
1&he $evelo!"en& of an in$ivi$*al conscio*sness,2 no& beca*se &ha& conscio*sness is
e/e"!lar) b*& beca*se i& is her o%n. Re&racin &he s&e!s of her !s)chic an$ ar&is&ic life,
Rainer bo&h $ela)s &he confron&a&ion %i&h her insol*ble obs&acle, an$ i""e$ia&el) beins
&he lon r*n *! &o%ar$ i&.
<he secon$ reason &his boo# is no& 4*i&e an a*&obiora!h) is beca*se i& $oes no& se& o*&
&o &ell &he &ale fro" beinnin &o !resen&. <his is no& so "*ch beca*se roo" is bein lef&
for a se4*el &han beca*se Rainer %ishes &o &ell a !ar&ic*lar &ale, &he &ale of &he e!och of
her e/is&ence lea$in *! &o her &ransfor"a&ion &o fil""a#er. <h*s &he boo# reall) onl)
covers half her life, onl) briefl) $isc*ssin even&s af&er &he earl) 19(0s. ;f &his s&ill leaves
*s %ell shor& of Se!&e"ber 11, &he clari&) of her !resen&a&ion of &he in&ernal an$
e/&ernal ca*ses of her o%n beco"in hel! &he rea$er &o ras! &he !a&holoies an$
con&ra$ic&ions of &his ne%, ra!i$l) a!!roachin, A"erica.
<his is, never&heless, &he s&or) of one %o"an6s life. Yvonne Rainer %as born in 1934 in
San Francisco &o an ;&alian fa&her an$ a :e%ish "o&her. A sense of her chil$hoo$ "ilie*
"a) be aine$ fro" observin &ha& her !aren&s "e& a& a 1ra% foo$ $inin roo",2 an$
fro" &he fac& &ha& fro" earl) chil$hoo$ she co""onl) a&&en$e$ 1;&alian anarchis& !icnics
an$ festas2 (109). <he bies& ")s&er) of Rainer6s life, ho%ever, has al%a)s been &o
#no% %h) she an$ her bro&her (a& &he aes of fo*r an$ seven, res!ec&ivel)) %ere sen&
b) &heir !aren&s &o live a& 1S*nn)si$e,2 an ins&i&*&ion in 7alo Al&o. <his !liver,es4*e
es&ablish"en&, r*n alon &he lines of a !rison, %as Yvonne an$ ;van6s ho"e *n&il 1941,
%hen &he) %ere 1release$.2
<his e/!erience, an$ her $is&*rbe$ fa"il) life, le$ Rainer &o beco"e, a& si/&een,
1chronicall) $e!resse$2 ((4). :*s& before her eih&een&h bir&h$a) she $ro!!e$ o*& of
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>er#ele) (af&er a %ee#) an$ $eci$e$ &o "ove o*& of ho"e (%i&h financial hel! fro" her
!aren&s). ;& %as &he beinnin of a lon search for ans%ers abo*& herself an$ abo*& &he
%orl$. Cri&ical &o &his search %as her fall in&o &he ar& %orl$, an$ her b*reonin
se/*ali&), bo&h con$*c&e$ in a %a) ver) !ar&ic*lar &o 1930s A"erica, b*& also &o a ver)
!ar&ic*lar !ar& of 1930s A"erica. +ever&heless, if her life an$ "ilie* %ere bohe"ian an$
avan&,ar$e, &his sho*l$ no& a& all be &ho*h& &o "ean &ha&, co"!are$ %i&h
Hconven&ional6 A"erica, ar& or se/*ali&) %ere necessaril) ver) Henlih&ene$6 or Hfree6. <he
rela&ion, as &ol$ b) Rainer, %ill !rove &o be far "ore co"!le/, if no& in$ee$ &ro*ble$.
;n 193' Rainer "ove$ &o +e% Yor# &o live %i&h abs&rac& e/!ressionis& !ain&er Al =el$. ;n
&he sa"e )ear she bean &a#in $ance classes in an a&&e"!& &o benefi& her ac&in. <h*s,
re"ar#abl), Rainer $i$ no& bein learnin &o $ance *n&il &he ae of -1 (a!ar& fro" so"e
lessons a& ae 3 or '). She learne$ ini&iall) fro" B$i&h S&e!hen, b*& 1%o*l$ so"e&i"es
!ee# &hro*h &he c*r&ains an$ %a&ch @erce C*nninha" li$in aro*n$ in &he s&*$io2
(1(0). Des!i&e her Hlon bac#6 an$ Hshor& les6, an$ &he fac& she %as no& ver) &*rne$ o*&,
she !ersis&e$. ;n 1939 she enrolle$ a& &he @ar&ha Araha" SchoolL
!ne day when Martha herself was teaching the class, she came over to me as )
was struggling with a floor stretch and said FWhen you accept yourself as a
woman, you will have turnout.G $rophetic words. Ceither condition has come to
pass. (193)
An$ in a le&&er &o her bro&her, also fro" 1939, Rainer as#s herself %ha& $ance "eans &o
her. =er lis& incl*$es &ha& i& is a 1%a) o*&2 of an e"o&ional $ile""a, an 1al"os& in$efini&e
!os&!one"en&2 of 4*es&ions abo*& !*r!ose, aes&he&ics, an$ voca&ion, so"e&hin &o $o
$ail), an i$en&i&) base$ on har$ %or#, an$ a %a) of life (190?1). 5he&her her lifelon
1har$ %or#2 is a for" of !os&!one"en&, or ra&her &he ver) %or# of life, is a 4*es&ion
hanin over ever) !hase of Rainer6s ar&is&ic evol*&ion. Rainer rela&es &hese &ho*h&s
abo*& $ance &o &he !s)cho&hera!) she %as alrea$) *n$eroinL %hen s!ea#in abo*&
$ance, she e/!oses her a&&i&*$es, %hich &hera!) &hen &ransfor"s, an$ %hich &hen
chanes her a&&i&*$e &o $ance. <his !ar&i&ion, b*& connec&ion, be&%een %or$s an$
"ove"en&, %ill also fi*re &hro*ho*& her life, an$ in !ar&ic*lar in her &ransfor"a&ion
fro" choreora!her &o fil""a#er.
5ha& she learne$ fro" C*nninha" %as a love of or$inariness, an$ &he e"o&ionali&) of
&he bo$) i&self. Co"bine$ %i&h infl*ences fro" "ini"alis" an$ abs&rac& e/!ressionis",
Rainer hal&inl) b*& a"bi&io*sl) e"bar#e$ on a career as an e/!eri"en&al !erfor"er an$
choreora!her. ;& %as an ar&is&ic %orl$ bo&h livel) an$ aressivel) "asc*line, in %hich
her oals incl*$e$ brinin &he o$,li#e i"ae of &he $ancer $o%n &o h*"an scale, &he
$es&r*c&ion of &he "as&er!iece, &he $e"ocra&isa&ion of &he rela&ion be&%een
choreora!her an$ $ancer, an$ &he ren*ncia&ion of in&eriori&) an$ e/!ressivi&). ;& %as, as
S*san Son&a $escribe$ i&, an 1a$versarial c*l&*re.2 An infa"o*s "o"en& of Rainer6s
!rofessional life %as her 1+o "anifes&o2L
C! to spectacle no to virtuosity no to transformations and magic and make
believe no to the glamour and transcendence of the star image no to the heroic no
to the antiheroic no to trash imagery no to involvement of performer or spectator
no to style no to camp no to seduction of spectator by the wiles of the performer
no to eccentricity no to moving or being moved. (-'3?4)
Rainer $enies &he "anifes&o %as "ean& &o be !rescri!&ive for all &i"e for all
choreora!hers, b*& i& is $iffic*l& no& &o rea$ Feelings are facts as &he !ainf*ll) slo%
.o*rne) back &o 1"ovin or bein "ove$.2
;n 19'' Rainer bean &o s*ffer life,&hrea&enin ab$o"inal !roble"s, s&e""in fro" a
chil$hoo$ a!!en$ec&o"). A& &he sa"e &i"e, &he !roble"s in her co"!le/ rela&ionshi! &o
ar&is& Rober& @orris con&in*e$ &o $ee!en *n&il, on Jc&ober 13, 19(1, Rainer "a$e a
serio*s an$ "e&ho$ical s*ici$e bi$. <his lef& her %i&h &%o 4*es&ionsL ho% co*l$ she have
faile$ &o &hin# of &he h*r& &his %o*l$ "ean for o&hers, an$ ho% co*l$ she have been so
over&a#en b) &he obsession &o &a#e her o%n life (3(')M ;& $oes no& see" farfe&che$ &o
sa) &ha& i& %as &he a&&e"!& a& res!on$in &o &hese 4*es&ions &ha& !rovo#e$ &he "ove
fro" $ance &o cine"a, even if &here %ere al%a)s cine"a&ic references in her #ine"a&ic
choreora!hic %or#s, an$ even if her fil"s are *n$o*b&e$l) in so"e %a) a con&in*a&ion
of &hose %or#s.
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Rainer acco*n&s for &he &ransfor"a&ion b) e/!lainin &ha&, iven her ne% !reocc*!a&ion
%i&h e"o&ion, 1$ance %as no& as s!ecific, "eanin,%ise, as lan*ae2 (390). A*i$e$ b)
&he *ns!o#en &ho*h& &ha& 1feelins are fac&s,2 she bean &he slo% !rocess of *n$oin
"*ch of &he in&ellec&*al a!!ara&*s %i&h %hich she ha$ .*s&ifie$ her !revio*s %or#. Rainer
reconise$ &ha& "*ch of %ha& !asse$ as e/!eri"en&al an$ avan&,ar$e reall) %as an
in$efini&e !os&!one"en&, &ha& is, an evasion, s!ecificall) of "ovin an$ bein "ove$,
&ha& is, of e"o&ionL
While we aspired to the lofty and cerebral plane of a Huotidian materiality, our
unconscious life unraveled with an intensity and melodrama that inversely
matched their absence in the boxes, beams, *ogging, and standing still of our
austere sculptural and choreographic creations. (391)
Rainer6s life co"es across as a cons&an& al&erna&ion of a$vance an$ $ela), of r*nnin an$
s&an$in s&ill, of e/&re"e fas&,for%ar$ an$ even "ore e/&re"e slo%,"o, avoi$ance of
"ove"en&, absence of "ove"en&, b*& &hen &he "os& br*&al !assae &o &he ac&, even &o
&he ac& of aban$onin all care for o&hers, for &he %orl$, an$ for herself. 5here $oes all
&his leave her no%M A& &he ver) beinnin of her "e"oir, Rainer s!ea#s of her ho!e &ha&
&he boo# %ill offer a 1$N&en&e2 be&%een &he absol*&is& !rono*nce"en&s of her )o*&h an$
&he 1"ore "eas*re$ !erce!&ions2 of her 1i""inen& ol$ ae2 (/v). Aain, %e see &he
con&ras& be&%een a grand *etI an$ "eas*re$ s&e!s. <h*s %e are lef&, for e/a"!le, %i&h
$rivilege (USA, 1990), her bea*&if*ll) s*b&le an$ h*"an (%hich $oes no& "ean
1h*"anis&ic2) fil" co"!risin 1a*&obiora!hical fic&ion2 an$ 1*nscholarl) $isser&a&ion2
(43-).
Rainer sa)s her $e"ons have 4*ie&e$ $o%n (43'). An$ )e&, a& &he ae of (0, Rainer
confesses &ha& 1; ha&e ol$ !eo!le2 , &heir slo%ness, &heir cran#iness, &heir conf*sion an$
failin "e"ories (440). She fin$s herself fille$ %i&h ine/!licable rae, an$ f*r) a& a
!resi$en& inca!able of ra&ional &ho*h&, co"!assion or e"!a&h), a !resi$en&
*nconcerne$ %i&h connec&in &ho*h& %i&h ac&ion, a !resi$en& %ho relies on his *&
ins&inc& b*& %ho is &oo i"!a&ien& or self,cen&re$ &o $evelo! an) e"o&ional feel, a
!resi$en& all &oo %illin &o lea! in&o &he !assae &o &he ac& of %ar. ;n &he "ove"en& fro"
$ancer &o choreora!her &o fil""a#er, i& &oo# Yvonne Rainer !erha!s -3 )ears &o learn
ho% &o walk slow, ho% &o brin &ho*h&, ac&ion, an$ feelin in&o "o&ion8 i& &oo# her &his
lon &o !erfec& techniHue. >*&, ho%ever fal&erin an$ ro*n$abo*& Rainer6s ar&is&ic
.o*rne) "a) have been, she has, cer&ainl), arrive$ a& so"e #in$ of $es&ina&ion. An$,
%i&h &his "os& recen& "ove"en& &o a*&obiora!her, Rainer has achieve$ one of her "os&
felici&o*s co"!osi&ions. >*& $on6& e/!ec& her no% &o se&&le in &o a co"for&able ol$ ae or
&a#e *! #ni&&in. <his is, no $o*b&, "erel) &he !rel*$e &o &he ne/& *n!re$ic&able , b*&
fascina&in, an$ livel) , s&e!.
Daniel Ross,
A*s&ralia.
*te%3$&3ste% gui"e to "ance' Yvonne Rainer
Yvonne Rainer an$ her %or#s are *nco"!ro"isin, challenin an$ hihl) infl*en&ial.
>*& she %onU& be *es&in on V Fac&or
Co"ba&ive ... Yvonne Rainer $ancin
<rio A.
In s)ort
An ar&is& %ho is an&i,ar&, an ac&ivis&
%ho is also an aes&he&e, Yvonne Rainer
is a co"ba&ive, con&rarian an$
confo*n$in fi*re %hose %or# has
crosse$ fro" choreora!h) &o cine"a
an$ bac# aain. She has never been
!o!*lar b*& she has, for a ver) lon
&i"e, been infl*en&ial.
18
8ackstor&
>orn in San Francisco in 1934, Yvonne Rainer ha$ an *nconven&ional an$ con&ra$ic&or)
*!brinin. =er !aren&s ? a 7olish,:e%ish "o&her (Ta !o&en&ial s&ae "o&herT) an$ an
;&alian fa&her (Tan anarchis& an$ a ho*se !ain&erT) ? "inle$ %i&h ar&is&ic bohe"ians an$
!oli&ical ra$icals, b*& for several )ears she an$ her bro&her %ere raise$ a%a) in a
$isci!linarian chil$renUs ho"e. Conf*se$, in&ense, a$ven&*ro*s an$ of&en $e!resse$,
)o*n Rainer fell in&o &he ar& %orl$, %here she "e& her f*&*re h*sban$ Al =el$, an
abs&rac& e/!ressionis& !ain&er. She "ove$ &o +e% Yor# in 193', in !ar& &o be %i&h hi".
;ni&iall) she s&*$ie$ ac&in, b*& &he S&anislavs#i "e&ho$ &hen in vo*e $i$ no& s*i& her.
She &*rne$ &o $ance, &rainin %i&h @ar&ha Araha", @erce C*nninha" an$ ballerina @ia
Slavens#a. A &*rnin !oin& %as Anna =al!rinUs e/!eri"en&al s*""er school in California
in 19'0, %here she firs& "e& <risha >ro%n. >ac# in +e% Yor#, Rainer an$ >ro%n beca"e
fo*n$in "e"bers of &he enor"o*sl) infl*en&ial :*$son Dance <hea&re in 19'-, a loose
collec&ive of ar&is&s in&eres&e$ in e/!eri"en&al !erfor"ance. A"on &he" %as Rober&
@orris, %i&h %ho" Rainer for"e$ an in&ense an$ co"!le/ rela&ionshi!.
Rainer %as &he "os& !rolific an$ con&roversial of &he :*$son choreora!hers, an$ &hre%
herself in&o a #in$ of an&i,$ance %hich favo*re$ banal "ove"en&s, non,e/!ression,
ran$o"ness an$ $isconnec&e$ness. =er fa"o*s $ance "anifes&o of 19'3 (see T;n her
o%n %or$sT, belo%) an$ her 19'' <rio A beca"e no& onl) sina&*res for her b*&
e"ble"s of &he %hole :*$son "ove"en&.
;n 19(0, Rainer an$ her $ancers beca"e fo*n$ers of ano&her hihl) infl*en&ial
!erfor"ance collec&ive, &he Aran$ Union. ;n 19(1, follo%in a se!ara&ion fro" @orris,
Rainer a&&e"!&e$ s*ici$e. She re&*rne$ &o %or# %i&h a Tres*rence of eoT, increasinl)
in&eres&e$ in fil" as a "e$i*" &o e/!lore "ore shar!l) $efine$ !ersonal an$ !oli&ical
concerns. She ha$ *se$ fil" in her "*l&i"e$ia !erfor"ances for so"e &i"e alrea$) ?
"os& no&orio*sl) in 19'9, %hen a ro*! of avan&,ar$is&s %ere invi&e$ &o an *!&o%n
>roa$%a) &hea&re an$ Rainer, ever &he $o%n&o%n rebel, ha$ sho%n a !ornora!hic fil"
(T&he fil&hies& &hin ; ever ho!e &o see in a &hea&reT, %ro&e one cri&ic). >*& b) 19(3,
Rainer ha$ aban$one$ live !erfor"ance al&oe&her, $evo&in herself &o fil","a#in %i&h
&he sa"e a$versarial $e&er"ina&ion &ha& she ha$ sho%n in $ance ? an$ a&&rac&in as
"*ch a&&en&ion in &he ar& %orl$.
<hen, in -000, balle& s*!ers&ar @i#hail >ar)shni#ov invi&e$ her &o choreora!h for his
5hi&e Ja# Dance !ro.ec& ? an$ her in&eres& in $ance %as re#in$le$. ;n &he las& $eca$e,
she has aban$one$ fil" an$ re&*rne$, circ*"s!ec&l), &o choreora!h). T;Uve co"e bac#
&o &he bo$) as &he "ain ele"en& of ") %or#,T she sa)s. TJnce a $ancer, al%a)s a
$ancer, ; s*!!ose.T
Catc)ing Yvonne Rainer
5a&chin is a #e) %or$L Rainer is al%a)s ver) conscio*s of &he s!ec&a&or. ;n her earl)
%or#s, she reac&e$ aains& &he !resen&a&ional "anner of balle& as %ell as &he
e/!ressiveD$ra"a&ic "o$e of "o$ern $ance, see#in ins&ea$ an ob.ec&ive,
*n$e"ons&ra&ive s&)le. She favo*re$ a "a&&er,of,fac& $eliver) (ra&her &han T!erfor"inT
a "ove"en&, &he $ancer %o*l$ T.*s& $o i&T), &as#,li#e ac&ions, "ono&one $)na"ics,
so"e&i"es e/cr*cia&in re!e&i&ions. S!ec&a&ors "ih& be baffle$, "a$$ene$ or bore$,
b*& Rainer %as no& in&eres&e$ in ra&if)in her a*$ience. :*s& as she ha$ ref*se$ &o
Tbe$ec#T herself for social occasions as a irl, so her choreora!h) insis&e$ &ha& &he
a*$ience see !lainl) %ha& is &here ins&ea$ of b*)in in&o so"e co"f) ill*sion.
<rio A beca"e her sina&*re %or# ? e/ce!& Rainer %as *nco"for&able %i&h &he ver) i$ea
of a Tsina&*reT, beca*se i& i"!lica&e$ her as &he Tboss la$)T. She relin4*ishe$ her
Ta*&horshi!T of <rio A b) anno*ncin &ha& an)one %ho ha$ !erfor"e$ i& co*l$ &each i& &o
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an)one else. She also al&ere$ i& herself several &i"es (i& %as $ance$ vario*sl) as a &rio, a
solo an$ in rela)s) ? an i$ea &ha& she f*r&here$ in %or#s &ha& %ere inheren&l) "*&able,
s*ch as Con&in*o*s 7ro.ec& ? Al&ere$ Dail), %hich acc*"*la&e$ bi&s of "a&erial as &he)
%ere !erfor"e$, $e!en$in on &he !erfor"ers &he"selves.
5i&h her fil" %or#, )o* co*l$ sa) &ha& Rainer shif&e$ her a&&en&ion fro" ob.ec& (%ha& &he
vie%er sees) &o s*b.ec& (%ha& &he vie%er rea$s). <he s*b.ec&s of RainerUs fil"s %ere
close &o her hear& ? &he lives of !erfor"ers, fe"inis", aein, racial i$en&i&),
"eno!a*se, lesbianis" (Rainer &oo# &he s&e! fro" a rhe&oricall) T!oli&ical lesbianT &o a
!rac&isin one in &he "i$,90s). <ho*h her cine"a %as "ore obvio*sl) &he"a&ic &han
her choreora!h), Rainer re"aine$ "ore in&eres&e$ in confo*n$in vie%ers &han
ra&if)in &he".
Re&*rnin &o $ance, her recen& choreora!h) has &a#en a sl) s&ance on $ance (an$
"ove"en&) i&self. =er &%o Tin$e/icalT !ieces ? AA ;n$e/ical %i&h a li&&le hel! fro" =@
(-00') an$ RoS ;n$e/ical (-00() ? chee#il) refer &o (or Tin$e/T) >alanchineUs Aon an$
+i.ins#)Us Ri&e of S!rin res!ec&ivel), !e!!ere$ %i&h o&her references s*ch as &he 7in#
7an&her &he"e, bo%lin an$ &ennis, @ar/,bro&hers !ra&falls an$ ? !erha!s inevi&abl) ?
<rio A.
C)oDs 1)o
S&eve 7a/&on, Davi$ Aor$on, Do*las D*nn an$ 7a& Ca&&erson %ere a"on RainerUs
earl) $ance collabora&ors. Ca&&erson s&ill %or#s %i&h Rainer as !ar& of a "*l&i,
enera&ional ro*! of $ancers &ha& incl*$es Sall) Silvers, 7a&ricia =offba*er an$ B"il)
Coa&es.
Fact
5hen Rainer %as recoverin fro" her s*ici$e a&&e"!&, one of her $ancers, 7a&
Ca&&erson, bro*h& RainerUs s&*$en&s &o &he hos!i&al an$ &he) !erfor"e$ <rio A for Rainer
on &he !ave"en& o*&si$e.
In )er o1n 1or"s
T+o &o s!ec&acle no &o vir&*osi&) no &o &ransfor"a&ions an$ "aic an$ "a#e believe no
&o la"o*r an$ &ranscen$enc) of &he s&ar i"ae no &o &he heroic no &o &he an&i,heroic no
&o &rash i"aer) no &o involve"en& of !erfor"er or s!ec&a&or no &o s&)le no &o ca"! no
&o se$*c&ion of s!ec&a&or b) &he %iles of &he !erfor"er no &o eccen&rici&) no &o "ovin or
bein "ove$.T
RainerDs famous "ance manifesto @9?7;A2
T5hile %e as!ire$ &o &he lof&) an$ cerebral !lane of a 4*o&i$ian "a&eriali&), o*r
*nconscio*s life *nravele$ %i&h an in&ensi&) an$ "elo$ra"a &ha& inversel) "a&che$ &heir
absence in O o*r a*s&ere sc*l!&*ral an$ choreora!hic crea&ions.T
Rainer, fra"in her earl) an&i,e/!ressive ar& in e"o&ive, !ersonal &er"s.
T; lef& $ance beca*se ; fel& ; co*l$nU& a$e4*a&el) $eal %i&h &hese F!ersonal an$ !oli&icalG
iss*es an$ ; beca"e in&eres&e$ in &he !ossibili&ies of *sin lan*ae an$ voice,over,
$ialo*e %i&h i"ae. ;& see"e$ a "*ch richer !ale&&e %i&h %hich &o %or#.T
Intervie1 1it) Moira Eeffre&# T)e *cotsman 5696.
In ot)er 1or"s
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TIo&s of !eo!le a& &ha& &i"e %ere $oin !rocess,$riven, &as#,orien&e$ $ance %i&h na&*ral
"ove"en&. A lo& of i& loo#e$ $oe$. @s Rainer %as s*ch a rive&in !resence, an$ her
i$eas %ere so in&ense an$ $aKKlin, &ha& her !ersonali&) co*l$nU& hel! "anifes&in i&self,
rih& belo% an$ even above &he cool, for"alis& s*rface.T
Eo)n Rock1ell# Ne1 York Times 56672
TRainerO is a h)bri$, bo&h aes&he&e an$ ac&ivis&.T
Ann !al&# 4)ronicle of Fig)er E"ucation 56652
TJne of &he "os& iconoclas&ic choreora!hers of her enera&ion.T
Eu"it) Mackrell# Guar"ian 56962
!o sa&
T<he !rocess is &he !ro$*c&, &he "e$i*" is &he "essae an$ &he s&a&*s is no& 4*o.T
5ha& $oes i& "eanM Ie& )o*r lis&eners o fi*re.
!onDt sa&
TSho*l$nU& &he) !oin& &heir fee&M 5h) $onU& &he) s&re&ch &heir #neesM Are &hese even
$ancersMT
*ee also
Alonsi$e Rainer, &he bes& #no%n na"es &o have e"ere$ fro" :*$son Dance <hea&re
incl*$e <risha >ro%n, I*cin$a Chil$s, <%)la <har! an$ S&eve 7a/&on.
Cillae Coice $ance cri&ic :ill :ohns&on %as an in&eres&inl) !arallel fi*re &o RainerL an
earl) s*!!or&er of RainerUs choreora!h), she %as one of &he firs& cri&ics &o &a#e *! &he
:*$son ca*se, an$ (li#e Rainer) %as a co"ba&ive fi*re %ho &hre% herself in&o '0s
libera&ionis& i$eals, (0s i$en&i&) !oli&ics, !s)cho&hera!), ca"e o*& as lesbian, an$ &ro$ a
%a)%ar$ !a&h &ha& s!anne$ bo&h hih,"in$e$ i$eals an$ "ess) reali&ies.
No1 1atc) t)is
Rainer !erfor"in <rio A in 19(9 (as a solo).
Rainer &eachin <rio A in -00- &o @ar&ha Araha" fe"ale i"!ersona&or Richar$ @ove.
RainerUs firs& fil", &he "ini"alis& =an$ @ovie (19''), "a$e %hile she %as in hos!i&al.
RoS ;n$e/ical (-00().
h&&!LDDbo$)&rac#s.orD-009D0'D)vonne,rainer,&rio,aD
21
Yvonne Rainer 8lasts Marina A$ramoviH an" MO4A LA
Rainer receive$ &he follo%in le&&er fro" so"eone %ho a&&en$e$ &he Abra"oviW a*$i&ion
for a %or# &o be !erfor"e$ a& &he @*se*" of Con&e"!orar) Ar& in Ios Aneles6 alaL
%o, ) spent an hour today at the 3bromovic JsicK audition at M!53. The deal is that the
artists.dancers she will hire will spend @LM? hours under the dining tables of the donor
gala with their heads protruding from the tables. They will be sitting on la+y susans
under the table and slowly rotating and making eye contact with the donors.diners. !f
course we were warned that we will not be able to leave to pee, etc. That the diners
may try to feed us, give us drinks, fondle us under the table, etc but will be warned not
to. Whatever happens, we are to remain in performance mode and unaffected. What the
fuckNM 3nd the chosen performers are expected to be there all day friday and saturday.
The hours probably total /O or more and the pay is P/O= Lplus a M!53 one year
membershipMMM?. ) am utterly appalled. This should be illegal. There is another audition
for another role where the performers lie naked on tables with fake skeletons on them.
%ince ) cannot stomach being a turning, severed head while people get drunk in front of
me, ) am seriously considering taking a naked role and performing an intervention at
the gala celebration where ) use my body as a surface to communicate the fact that )
worked x number of hours for P/O=. ) swear ) need to do something"to speak for my
community of artists who are being taken advantage of by ma*or museums. sick shit.
Bod, we need a revolution.
<his is Rainer6s res!onse, %ri&&en &o &he "*se*"6s $irec&or F*!$a&eL Abra"oviW res!on$s
an$ Dei&ch res!on$sL
Covember 0, <=//
To -effrey 7eitch,
) am writing to protest the FentertainmentG about to be provided by Marina 3bramovic
at the upcoming donor gala at the Museum of 5ontemporary 3rt. )t has come to my
attention that a number of young people will be ensconced under the diners tables on
la+y %usans and also be reHuired to display their nude bodies under fake skeletons.
This description is reminiscent of F%alo,G $asolinis controversial film of /01O that dealt
with sadism and sexual abuse of a group of adolescents at the hands of a bunch of post
war fascists. 'eluctant as ) am to dignify 3bramovic by mentioning $asolini in the same
breath, the latter at least had a socially credible *ustification tied to the cause of anti
fascism. 3bramovic and M!53 have no such credibility, only a flimsy personal rationale
about eye contact. %ub*ecting her performers to public humiliation at the hands of a
bunch of frolicking donors is yet another example of the Museums callousness and
greed and Ms 3bramovics obliviousness to differences in context and some of the
implications of transposing her own powerful performances to the bodies of others. 3n
exhibition is one thing Q this is not a critiHue of 3bramovics work in general Q but
titillation for wealthy donor.diners as a means of raising money is another.
Ms 3bramovic is so wedded to her original vision that she ; and by extension, the
Museum director and curators Q doesnt see the egregious associations for the
performers, who, though willing, will be exploited nonetheless. Their desperate
voluntarism says something about the generally exploitative conditions of the art world
such that people are willing to become decorative table ornaments installed by a
22
celebrity artist in the hopes of somehow breaking into the show bi+ themselves. 3nd at
subminimal wages for the performers, the event is economic exploitation as well,
verging on criminality.G
This grotesHue spectacle promises to be truly embarrassing. We the undersigned wish to
express our dismay that an institution that we have supported can stoop to such
degrading methods of fund raising. 5an other institutions be far behindN Must we re
name M!53 FM!7F'G or the Museum of 7egenerate Fund 'aisingN
%incerely,
9vonne 'ainer
7ouglas 5rimp
taisha paggett
<he Ios Aneles Museum of 4ontem%orar& Art6s ann*al ala is one of &he "os& hihl)
an&ici!a&e$ even&s of &he fall ar& season !revio*s e$i&ions have incl*$e$ s*ch
hea$liners as La"& Gaga an$ *es&s li#e 8rangelina an$ &his )ear i& "a) also be
a"on &he "os& con&roversial. <he +ove"ber 1- !ar&), %hich boas&s !erfor"ance ar&is&
Marina A$romavic as crea&ive $irec&or an$ "*sician !e$$ie Farr& as an honoree, is
alrea$) r*fflin so"e fea&hers in &he local ar& co""*ni&). Reno%ne$ $ancer,
choreora!her, an$ fil""a#er Yvonne Rainer has %ri&&en a le&&er &o @JCA $irec&or
Eeffre& !eitc) in$ic&in Abra"ovic6s !lanne$ !erfor"ance for &he even&, %hich she calls
1ro&es4*e2 an$ 1verFinG on econo"ic e/!loi&a&ion.2 <he co"!lain& %as also sine$ b)
a n*"ber of ar& fi*res incl*$in !ouglas 4rim%, Tom Knec)tel, an$ Monica Ma(oli.
Rainer %as co"!elle$ &o %ri&e &o Dei&ch af&er hearin an acco*n& of &he a*$i&ion !rocess
fro" a frien$, %ho &ol$ Rainer &ha& she fel& &he !erfor"ers %ere bein 1&a#en a$van&ae
of.2 Accor$in &o &he frien$Us e"aile$ acco*n&, %hich %as ob&aine$ b)
ARTINFO, !erfor"ers %ill s!en$ &hree ho*rs %i&h &heir &heir hea$s !ro&r*$in &hro*h
&he alaUs &able&o!s, #neelin on IaK) S*sans belo% &o slo%l) ro&a&e in circles %hile
"ain&ainin e)e con&ac& %i&h *es&s. J&her !erfor"ers %ill la) n*$e on &ables %i&h fa#e
s#ele&ons on &o! of &he", recrea&in Abra"ovicUs fa"o*s T+*$e 5i&h S#ele&onT
!erfor"ance, as re!erfor"ers $i$ a& her @o@A re&ros!ec&ive. 7ar&ici!an&s %ill be !ai$
X130 an$ receive a one,)ear @JCA "e"bershi!. 1Jf co*rse %e %ere %arne$ &ha& %e
%ill no& be able &o leave &o !ee, e&c. <ha& $iners "a) &r) &o fee$ *s, ive *s $rin#s,
fon$le *s *n$er &he &able, e&c., b*& %ill be %arne$ no& &o,2 rea$ &he e"ail. 15ha&ever
ha!!ens, %e are &o re"ain in !erfor"ance "o$e an$ *naffec&e$.2
<his 1ro&es4*e s!ec&acle2 of a !erfor"ance is Tre"iniscen& of USalo,U
Pasolini6s con&roversial fil" of 19(3 &ha& $eal& %i&h sa$is" an$ se/*al ab*se of a ro*!
of a$olescen&s a& &he han$s of a b*nch of !os&,%ar fascis&s,T Rainer %ri&es in her le&&er.
TRel*c&an& as ; a" &o $inif) Abra"ovic b) "en&ionin 7asolini in &he sa"e brea&h, &he
la&&er a& leas& ha$ a sociall) cre$ible .*s&ifica&ion in &he ca*se of an&i,fascis".T
Abra"ovic an$ @JCAUs $irec&or an$ c*ra&ors, she a$$s, $onU& Tsee &he ereio*s
associa&ions for &he !erfor"ers, %ho, &ho*h %illin, %ill be e/!loi&e$ none&heless.2 As
for &he !erfor"ers, 1&heir $es!era&e vol*n&aris" sa)s so"e&hin abo*& &he enerall)
e/!loi&a&ive con$i&ions of &he ar& %orl$ s*ch &ha& !eo!le are %illin &o beco"e vic&i"s of
a celebri&) ar&is& in &he ho!es of so"eho% brea#in in&o &he sho% biK &he"selves. An$ a&
s*b,"ini"al %aes for &he !erfor"ers, &he even& veres on econo"ic e/!loi&a&ion an$
cri"inali&).2
23
15o%,2 Abra"ovic &ol$ AR<;+FJ af&er bein rea$ &he le&&er. 1; ho!e &he !erfor"ance
i&self %ill brin so"e #in$ of $ini&), sereni&), an$ concen&ra&ion &o &he nor"al si&*a&ion
of a ala, an$ ac&*all) chane &he ener) of &he s!ace an$ brin &he !erfor"ance in&o
an ever)$a) life si&*a&ion.2 She a$$e$ &ha& i& is $iffic*l& &o .*$e &he !erfor"ance %i&ho*&
havin seen i&L 1All &hese acc*sa&ions, )o* can6& have &he" before )o* ac&*all)
e/!erience &he si&*a&ion an$ see ho% ; can chane &he a&"os!here, &ha&Us ") "ain
!*r!ose,2 she sai$, before a$$in, 1; reall) res!ec& Yvonne.2
Rainer $ecline$ &o offer a$$i&ional co""en& be)on$ her le&&er, &ho*h she no&e$ &ha& she
ha$ no& been invi&e$ nor $oes she !lan &o a&&en$ &he ala. Rainer6s 19'3 1+o @anifes&o,2
%hich co$ifie$ &he &ene&s of her choreora!h), "an$a&e$ &ha& $ance sho*l$ sa) 1+o &o
s!ec&acle.... +o &o &he involve"en& of !erfor"er or s!ec&a&orO. +o &o se$*c&ion of
s!ec&a&or b) &he %iles of &he !erfor"er.2
@JCA6s alas, b) con&ras&, are no&hin if no& hea$line,%or&h) s!ec&acles. <his )ear, &he
ala %ill be co,chaire$ b) &elevision !ro$*cer Maria 8ell an$ "eacollec&or Eli 8roa",
%hile Larr& Gagosian an$ !as)a .)ukova %ill serve as honorar) chairs. ;n$ivi$*al
&ic#e&s rane fro" X-,300 &o X10,000, an$ &able !rices rane fro" X-3,000 &o
X100,000. A re!resen&a&ive fro" @JCA $i$ no& i""e$ia&el) res!on$ &o a re4*es& for
co""en&.
J6pdate, 3t the time 3'T)CF! originally published this article, we understood that
'ainier had already sent the letter to M!53. )n fact, though word of it had
already begun to leak out, she had not. We regret the error.K
J6pdate, The #os 3ngeles Times got a response from M!53 director Jeffrey Deitch,
who reportedly has invited 'ainer to attend a rehearsal later today. FFor me this is the
way the art world works, itRs all about dialogue,G he said. F) would *ust hope that when
people make allegations like this, they would actually come to see the performance and
talk to the performers.G 8e noted that 'ainers information came from one performer
Fwith her own personal agenda, who does not represent the hundreds of people who
applied for this.GK
8iogra%)&
5hen Yvonne Rainer "a$e her firs& fea&*re,len&h fil" in 19(-, she ha$ alrea$)
infl*ence$ &he %orl$ of $ance an$ choreora!h) for nearl) a $eca$e. Fro" &he beinnin
of her fil" career she ins!ire$ a*$iences &o &hin# abo*& %ha& &he) sa%, in&er%eavin &he
real an$ fic&ional, &he !ersonal an$ !oli&ical, &he concre&e an$ abs&rac& in i"aina&ive,
*n!re$ic&able %a)s. =er bol$ fe"inis& sensibili&) an$ of&en con&roversial s*b.ec& "a&&er,
leavene$ %i&h a 4*ir#) h*"or, has "a$e her, as &he Cillae Coice $*bbe$ her in 199',
1<he "os& infl*en&ial A"erican avan&,ar$e fil""a#er of &he !as& $oKen )ears, %i&h an
i"!ac& as evi$en& in Ion$on or >erlin as in +e% Yor#.2
Rainer %as born in San Francisco in 1934. She &raine$ as a "o$ern $ancer in +e% Yor#
fro" 193( an$ bean &o choreora!h her o%n %or# in 19'0. She %as one of &he
fo*n$ers of &he :*$son Dance <hea&er in 19'-, &he beinnin of a "ove"en& &ha&
!rove$ &o be a vi&al force in "o$ern $ance in &he follo%in $eca$es. >e&%een 19'- an$
19(3 she !resen&e$ her choreora!h) &hro*ho*& &he Uni&e$ S&a&es an$ B*ro!e, no&abl)
on >roa$%a) in 19'9, in Scan$inavia, Ion$on, Aer"an), an$ ;&al) be&%een 19'4 an$
19(-, an$ a& &he Fes&ival D6A*&o"ne in 7aris in 19(-. ;n 19'9 she bean &o in&era&e
shor& fil"s in&o her live !erfor"ances, an$ b) 19(3 she ha$ "a$e a co"!le&e &ransi&ion
&o fil""a#in.
;n 19(- she co"!le&e$ a firs& fea&*re,len&h fil", I;CBS JF 7BRFJR@BRS. ;n all she has
co"!le&e$ seven fea&*resL F;I@ A>JU< A 5J@A+ 5=J... (19(4), ER;S<;+A <AIE;+A
7;C<URBS (19('), :JUR+BYS FRJ@ >BRI;+D19(1 (1990, co,!ro$*ce$ b) &he >ri&ish
24
Fil" ;ns&i&*&e an$ %inner of &he S!ecial Achieve"en& A%ar$ fro" &he Ios Aneles Fil"
Cri&ics6 Associa&ion), <=B @A+ 5=J B+C;BD 5J@B+ (1993), 7R;C;IBAB (1990, %inner
of &he Fil""a#ers6 <ro!h) a& &he S*n$ance Fil" Fes&ival, 7ar# Ci&). U&ah, 1991, an$ &he
Ae)er 5er#e 7riKe a& &he ;n&erna&ional Doc*"en&ar) Fil" Fes&ival in @*nich, 1991), an$
@URDBR an$ "*r$er (199').
Rainer6s fil"s have been sho%n e/&ensivel) in &he U.S. an$ &hro*ho*& &he %orl$, in
al&erna&ive fil" e/hibi&ion sho%cases an$ revival ho*ses (s*ch as &he >leec#er S&
Cine"a, Ro/),S.F., +*Ar&,I.A, Fil" For*",+YC, e& al), in "*se*"s an$ in *niversi&ies.
=er fil"s have also been screene$ a& fes&ivals in Ios Aneles (Fil"e/), Ion$on,
@on&re*/, <oron&o, B$inb*rh, @annhei", >erlin, Iocarno, Ro&&er$a", Cre&eil, Dea*ville,
<o*lon, @on&real, =a"b*r, Salsa @a.ori, Fi*eira $a FoK, @*nich, Cienna, A&hens
(Jhio), S*n$ance, =on Eon, Ya"aa&a, an$ S)$ne).
25