Fred Herko (1936-1964)

Fred Herko was a central figure in New York’s

downtown avant-garde around 1960. A musical
prodigy, he studied piano at the Juilliard School of
Music before switching to ballet at the age of
twenty. In 1956 he won a scholarship to study at
American Ballet Theatre School and within a few
years was dancing with established choreographers
including John Butler, Katherine Litz, Buzz Miller,
Glen Tetley and James Waring.

In 1961, together with Diane di Prima, LeRoi Jones,

James Waring and Alan Marlowe, he co-founded the
New York Poets Theatre, which provided a podium
for happenings by Ray Johnson, Allan Kaprow and
Robert Whitman, dances by Yvonne Rainer and
Trisha Brown, music by La Monte Young and Philip
Corner, and films by Stan VanDerBeek and Andy
Warhol.

He was a founder member of Judson Dance

Theater, presenting six of his own works in the
group’s concerts between 1962 and 1964, and
dancing in works by Al Hansen, Deborah Hay,
Arlene Rothlein, and Elaine Summers.

In 1963-4 Herko starred in seven of Andy Warhol’s

earliest cinematic experiments, including Jill and
Freddy Dancing, Rollerskate/Dance Movie, Haircut #1,
and Salome and Delilah.
Alain Bernard, Promenade
Choreographers’ Night, New York Ballet Club
High School of Fashion Industries, 20 April 1958
music: Gotfried von Einem, Capriccio
design: Remy Charlip
dancers: Alain Bernard, Fred Herko, Joan Baker and
Pippa Simpson (in rehearsal, replaced by Nan
Cogswell and Jeanette Siedband in performance)
 James Waring, In the Mist
Aileen Passloff and Company
Master Institute Theatre, 13 April 1960

music: Morton Feldman

dancers: Fred Herko, Aileen Passloff
and Vincent Warren

photo: Vladimir Sladon

photos: Vladimir Sladon
James Waring, Dromenon – Concert for Music, Dancers
and Lights

James Waring and Company

Henry Street Playhouse, 24–25 January 1962
Hunter College Playhouse, 3 Feb 1963
Judson Memorial Church, 19–20 May 1964
music: Richard Maxfield
light events: George Brecht
dancers: Toby Armour, William Davis, Fred Herko, Yvonne Rainer
and James Waring

Dromenon […] was perhaps the most pretentious of the program,

but it also was responsible for some unbelievably beautiful dancing
by Fred Herko, Yvonne Rainer, and Mr. Waring himself. Toby
Armour seemed to possess the most lyric quality of any of the
performers. She handles her body like an idea, almost effortlessly.
Richard Maxfield’s music was quite impressive in this last dance, a
piece done with tapes along with live musicians. It was much more
interesting than some of the other strictly taped, music concrete
sounding pieces, or the willful affectation of George Brecht’s
breath-like chatter behind Dithyramb. However, the whole story
was Mr. Waring’s choreography and performance, as well as the
brilliant performances of his company. It is a shame that we
cannot watch Mr. Waring & Co. perform (or the companies of
Merce Cunningham or Aileen Passloff or Paul Taylor) more often.
Once or twice a year is certainly not enough. Why is it that people
like Alwin Nikolais and his original Dixieland jazzband are always
around, and really estimable performers like Mr. Waring and Mr.
Cunningham are not able to appear more often?

LeRoi Jones, ‘James Waring and Dance Company’, The Floating Bear, no. 19,
March 1962
Herko in Dromenon, May 1964, photos Peter Moore
Fred Herko, Like Most People – for Soren
Judson Dance Theater Concert of Dance #1
Judson Memorial Church, 6 July 1962
music: improvised by Cecil Taylor

Fred Herko’s […] work seems to come from more varied places
[than that of David Gordon or Yvonne Rainer]. His dances
happen inside his costumes a lot. Like Most People he performed
inside one of those Mexican hammocks (brightly colored stripes)
and Cecil Taylor played the piano. It was some of Cecil’s very
exciting playing, and after a while the dance started to work with
it, and the whole thing turned into something marvelous and
unexpected.

Diane di Prima, ‘A Concert of Dance’, The Floating Bear, no. 21, August 1962

When we did the performance, Freddie came up to me and said,

‘What happened to the music?’ I said, ‘Freddie, when we
rehearsed I gave you the form of the piece, but when we did the
performance I used it as the basis for my improvisation’.

Interview with Cecil Taylor, 14 January 2012

Fred Herko, Little Gym Dance Before the Wall
– for Dorothy
Judson Dance Theater Concert of Dance #3
Judson Memorial Church, 29 January 1963
lighting: William Linich (Billy Name)
 James Waring, A t the Hallelujah Gardens

James Waring and Dance Company

Hunter Playhouse, 3 February 1963
music: Richard Maxfield (Garden Music, a collage)
set: objects and events by Al Hansen;
other events by George Brecht
costumes: George Brecht, Red Grooms, Al Hansen, Robert Indiana,
Larry Poons, Robert Watts and Robert Whitman
lighting: Nicola Cernovitch
dancers: David Gordon, Fred Herko, Diana Munzer, Yvonne Rainer,
Arlene Rothlein, Valda Setterfield and James Waring

At the Hallelujah Gardens, a series of ‘events’ that comprised sight

gags, costume changes, antic dance, serious dance, spoken
nonsense and much more. There was no logic at all in any of this
and therefore no shape. It was the sort of thing that should run
as a continuous entertainment to be walked in and out of at will.
Because this could not be done at Hunter (the audience not
knowing how long it would last), it became a bit trying as a
‘work’ to be sat through. But it was full of zany invention and
good clean fun.

Allen Hughes, ‘Dance Round-Up’, The New York Times, 7 April 1963, p. 641

Herko wore pairs of wheels like those on [Robert] Indiana’s

totemic constructions. The dancer turned two large ones at his
sides slowly with his hands, making his way across stage uttering
piercing screams as if a hidden axle were mangling his insides.

Susan Elizabeth Ryan, Robert Indiana: Figures of Speech, New Haven: Yale
Herko as Icarus in costume by Robert Indiana University Press, 2000, p. 113.
photographer unknown

The five sections of Mr. Herko’s Binghamton Birdie cohere with that
strange logic of parts that have no business being together, but which go
together anyway because anything in life can go with anything else if you
know what you’re doing. The only moment that missed for me was the
over-extended display of Brooklyn Joe Jones’ marvelous mechanical
musical construction (suspended from the balcony). Mr. Herko danced
around that on one roller skate, but I don’t think he did it soon enough.
The pure choreography of the second and last section, six dancers
moving before and behind the pillars supporting the balcony, is lovely.
So is the first event: Herko squat-walking in a black cape with a black
umbrella for canopy, making a few sweet notes on a flute.
Jill Johnston, ‘Judson Speedlimits’, The Village Voice, 15 July 1963, p. 10.
Fred Herko, Binghamton Birdie
Judson Dance Theater Concert of Dance #6
Judson Memorial Church, 23 June 1963
music: self-playing drums by Joe Jones,
construction by George Herms
dancers: Lucinda Childs, Ruth Emerson, Deborah Hay, Fred
Herko, Arlene Rothlein and Polly Stearns
In the sanctuary of Judson Memorial Church at
Washington Square, a big, chandelier-like construction
of self-playing drums rose from the lowered position in
which it had been playing (agitatedly but quietly) in
almost total darkness. A spotlight focused abruptly on a
white curtain. An imperious whirring sound arose and
through the curtain Fred Herko flashed in, looking
beatific. He wore black tights, a yellow-and-blue jersey
with ‘JUDSON’ emblazoned across the front, and, on
one foot, a black shoe and his means of locomotion –
a roller skate. Continuing to look beatific, he skated
around the floor for a time, moving his arms and the
unencumbered foot through various balletic positions.
Before vanishing behind the white curtain he did a bit of
toe-dancing – roller skate and bare foot notwithstanding.
Allen Hughes, ‘Judson Dance Theater Seeks New Paths’,
The New York Times, 26 June 1963, section 2, p 34.
Herko in Binghamton Birdie, photos by Al Giese
Lucinda Childs in Binghamton Birdie, photos by Al Giese
Deborah Hay, A ll Day Dance

Judson Dance Thaeter Concert of Dance #7

Judson Memorial Church, 24 June 1963
dancers: Lucinda Childs, Ruth Emerson, Fred Herko,
Tony Holder, Arlene Rothlein and Joseph Schlichter

photos by Al Giese
Arlene Rothlein – A nother Letter to the Sun
(for Charles Ives)
Judson Dance Theater Concert of Dance #8
Judson Memorial Church, 25 June 1963
performers: Lucinda Childs, Philip Corner, June Ekman,
Ruth Emerson, Deborah Hay, Fred Herko, Elizabeth
Keen, Deborah Lee, Norma Marder, John Herbert
McDowell, Elizabeth Munro, Rudy Perez, Diane Reil,
Arlene Rothlein, Beverly Schmidt, Carol Summers and
Elaine Summers

photos by Al Giese
George Brecht, Comb Music
New Music at the Pocket Theatre
A Benefit for the Foundation for the Contemporary Performance Arts
19 August 1963
 Al Hansen, A lice Denham in 48 Seconds: Percussion Piece
New Music at the Pocket Theatre
A Benefit for the Foundation for the Contemporary Performance Arts
19 August 1963
performed by Edward Boagni, George Brecht, Philip Corner, Malcolm
Goldstein, Al Hansen, Fred Herko, John Herbert McDowell, James Waring
and La Monte Young

In a performance [of Monica Harmonica] at an NYU spring art festival,

several of the performers were gentle folk. Chief of these was the late
dancer, Freddie Herko. Members of the audience (who were probably
engineering students or hydraulic systems drafting majors) singled out
Freddie for being quite effeminate and began to catcall and yell, ‘Yoo
hoo, Baby’ from the back row. Freddie ignored this. I was talking
through a microphone at the time, accompanied by my own voice
coming from a taper recorder. The silences in the tape recorder and
Herko performing Alice Denham in 48 Seconds, photo by Peter Moore
the silences in my speech matched up from time to time and
presented a hole through which one could hear John Herbert
McDowell having lunch and performing on several sound makers and
toy musical instruments he had brought with him. Freddie finally
began to talk back to the catcalling. (This is against what I would have
done in a similar position; if one ignores hecklers, they will collapse
under their own weight.) He kept feeding them, so finally I offered to
have them come into the performance area and take part in the
happening in a more dynamic way. One of them called, “If we come
into the performance area you’ll be sorry.” In a slow Cageian voice I
suggested they come up, one at a time and we would fight. They had
already become participants in the happening and I thought it would
be interesting to work with that. They didn’t want to do this,
whereupon Freddie Herko walked up the aisle towards one of them,
still posturing and undulating his arms and being very poised and erect
as only a modern dancer can, looked the leader dead in the eyes and
said, ‘I used to go to college’.

Al Hansen, A Primer of Happenings & Time/Space Art, New York: Something Else
Press, 1965
James Waring, Poet’s Vaudeville

Judson Dance Theatre presents James Waring & Dance Company

Judson Memorial Church, 25–26 August 1963
Sundance, Upper Black Eddy, PA 8 September 1963
Judson Memorial Church, 18-21 October 1963
Music in Our Time, 92nd Street Y, 9 February 1964
script: Diane di Prima
music: John Herbert McDowell
lighting William Linich (Billy Name)
set: Charles Stanley
costumes: James Waring, Remy Charlip and Ernestine Barrett
musicians: Norma Marder, David Everhart and John Herbert
McDowell
dancers: Lucinda Childs, Deborah Hay, Fred Herko, Arlene
Rothlein and James Waring

photos by Terry Schutté

left to right: Arlene Rothlein, James Waring, Lucinda Childs, Fred Herko and Deborah Hay, photo by Peter Moore
Fred Herko, Dervish

Cordier & Ekstrom Gallery, 18 January 1964

music: self-playing violin construction by Joe Jones

There were some way out doings last weekend at the Cordier &
Ekstrom Gallery, which is having a painting-and sculpture with
sound show called For Eyes and Ears. A concert was given by some
automated contraptions, and a non automated but even more
kinetic young man performed a dance under a mobile. The gallery
had invited 150 art lovers for Saturday, at 4 P.M.; a mob of more
than 500 showed up. Shortly after 4, prompted by a youth at a
switchboard, a huge Joe Jones mobile called Music Set (assorted
drums and a violin) began to play. The crowd listened gravely. The
next piece was more complex: some violins mounted on a tree
branch started up, their strings tweaked by mechanical feelers. A toy
steam engine rang some minuscule bells. Activated by a fan, a mo-
bile of clothespin like sticks capered violently. In one corner of the Dance is movement... the still photograph
room, a young mother diapered a baby, whose squalling seemed to forces us to select what is, hopefully, a
be unprogrammed. Another intermission; then Fred Herko, a meaningful instant – indicative of the whole.
dancer, crept into the room on his haunches, wrapped in a long fur The responsibility of selection is heavy.
coat and playing a flute. Ritually arranging the coat on the floor, he Herko’s Dervish was an almost constant
spread-eagled on it. A violin twanged, people tittered. The baby movement around the centerline of his body.
cried some more. Herko got up and began a barefoot balletic dance. In the middle of shooting conventional
‘You have to be in a state of grace to dance,’ he said. ‘I’m getting action-stopping pictures, it occurred to me
winded,’ he announced after a very long time. The violins twanged that a time exposure might capture the
nervously. ‘This is the noisiest gallery in town,’ Herko said, still patterns of his movement. One of half a
pirouetting. Finally the violins ran down. So did Herko. ‘Well, I dozen frames produced this ghost-like
meant this dance to be monotonous,’ he said. The audience clapped tracery of movement. Less than a year later,
thankfully and broke up. he was dead tragically. The image seems
prophetic.
Grace Glueck, ‘Art Notes’, The New York Times, 26 January 1964. p. X22.
Peter Moore, quoted in Wendy Perron and Daniel J.
Cameron (eds.), Judson Dance Theater: 1962-1966,
Vermont: Bennington College, 1981, p. 42
Frank O’Hara – Loves Labor
The New York Poets Theatre
New Bowery Theatre, 14 February –
22 March 1964
director: Alan Marlowe
choreography: Fred Herko
sets: Bret Rohmer
costumes: Jack Smith
lighting: John Dodd
cast:
Shepherd: Larry Ree / Arthur Williams
Venus: Frankie Francine
Alsatian Guide: Kenneth Hill
Visitors /Sheep: Eddie Barton, Deborah
Lee, Phoebe Neville, Elsene Sorrentino
Irish Film Star: Aileen Passloff
Nurse: Betty Brownsweater
Metternich: John Vaccaro
Juno: Joanna Vischer
Paris: Fred Herko
Minerva: Gloria Pages

photo by Peter Moore

Fred Herko, Untitled Solo
Rooftop of ‘The Opulent Tower’,
Ridge Street, New York, spring 1964

photo by George Herms

photo by George Herms Jess Collins, A Lamb for Pylaochos: Herko in NY ’64: Translation #16, 1966,
oil on canvas mounted on wood, private collection, based on a photo by
George Herms

Herko as Peter Peterouter, Sheindi Tokayer as Sister Thalia and Al Carmines as Father
Shenanigan, photo by Van Williams
In Home Movies only the present exists – charming people coming and going,
reclining in various tableaux, and singing at each other. There is a fast and
witty script by Rosalyn Drexler, in which the oldest cliché and the fanciest truth
are meant to be uttered with the same solemnity… The gentleness and warmth
of Home Movies delighted me even more than its wit; and this seemed the work
of the adorable music composed by Al Carmines (who is assistant minister at the
Judson Memorial Church) and played by him on the piano. The best numbers
are a tango sung and danced by Sister Thalia and Father Shenanigan, the
winsome strip tease done by Peter and the duets between him and Mrs. Verdun;
and the song ‘Brittle Peanut’ belted out by the maid Violet.
Susan Sontag, ‘Going to the Theater, etc’, The Partisan Review, September 1964
Rosalyn Drexler, Home Movies
Judson Poets’ Theater, 20–30 March 1964
Provincetown Playhouse, 11 May – 12 July 1964
Music: Al Carmines, Directed by Lawrence Kornfeld
Cast: James Anderson, George Bartenieff, Sudie Bond,
Al Carmines, Gretel Cummings, Fred Herko, Otto Mjaanes
and Barbara Ann Teer
This is the first play actually that had a transsexual
character, apart from special clubs or whatever. I had
one character who was like Carmen Miranda, with
flowers and fruit on his head. Fred Herko sang that,
and then Andy Warhol became interested in Freddie
because Freddie was kind of a star…
Rosalyn Drexler interviewed by Steve Bottoms, 1996
Home Movies has been described as a musical romp, and
it purports to offer improbable scenes that illustrate
“the temptations of modern life through the
amorphous adventures of an off-beat family”. But its
contrived and dotty humors are so far out that they are
virtually inaccessible… It proved of questionable worth
and taste… Miss Drexler mixes a dismal mélange of an
oversexed housewife, a looney daughter, a lippy maid, a
homosexual, a stuttering author, two repressed
members of a religious order, a lecherous husband and
an aggressive truck driver. Among them they sing an
unaccountable number of songs, which, apparently, are
designed to spoof some of our current foibles. But it is
difficult to identify the objects that Miss Drexler is
jabbing at.
Louis Calta, ‘Theater: “Home Movies”; Off-Beat Musical Found
Too Far Out to Grasp’, The New York Times, 12 May 1964, p. 32
Fred Herko, The Palace of the Dragon Prince
Judson Memorial Church, 1–2 May 1964
music: Hector Berlioz and Camille Saint-Saëns
set: George Herms
the Dragon Prince: Adoratio Jones (Kirby Doyle)
his attendants: Edward Barton, George Herms
dancers: Carla Blank, Abigail Ewert, Terry Foreman, Fred Herko, Robert
Holloway, Deborah Lee, Sandra Neels Phoebe Neville, Elsene Sorrentino

Another successful, long work done on a shoestring budget is Fred

Herko’s The Palace of the Dragon Prince. Formally it is a simple piece.
The cloaked prince, decadent and sinister in appearance as one
might imagine the Emperor Caligula, enters with two attendants,
rough material around their middles, one with full beard. They seat
themselves to be entertained by dancers. The prince and his small
retinue then leave for the intermission. They return to be
entertained by more dancing. At last, the prince wearies of the
formal entertainment. He chooses one dancer. She kneels before
him and over her obeisance he draws his great cloak like a final
curtain. Not much in terms of plot! Yet the ballet is not merely a
series of variations. Using a full-bodied, mostly barefoot ballet style,
Herko creates mystery and expectation with very slow, stately steps
and patterns done by dancers who seem to be in devoted but
detached concentration, as for a religious office (like in the avant-
garde style variously called ‘living doll’, ‘pop art’ or ‘chance’ dance,
of which Herko has been an advocate in the recent past). At times
Herko introduces into this formal, purposefully repetitious
choreography new elements such as one excruciatingly slow forward
progression for a dancer with toe shoes and turned-in legs slightly
bent at the knees; or some simultaneous pieces of improvisation.
One is aware of the choreographer’s historical consciousness, with
references to American, French and Soviet styles of classical ballet
dancing. These elements modulate but do not violate the hypnotic
effect of the total work. photo by Peter Moore

George Jackson, ‘New York’, Ballet Today, Surbiton, July 1964, pp. 24-25
Kirby Doyle and Edward Barton Deborah Lee and Sandra Neels photos by Peter Moore
photo by Al Giese
photos by William Linich (Billy Name)
James Waring, Double Concerto and Stanzas in Meditation

James Waring and Company

Judson Memorial Church, 19–20 May 1964

Double Concerto:
music: J.S. Bach (Brandenburg Concerto No 2) and
George Brecht (Incidental Music to Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No 2)
set: George Brecht
dancers: Lucinda Childs, Gary Gross, Deborah Hay,
Fred Herko, Arlene Rothlein and James Waring

Stanzas in Meditation:
music: Albert M. Fine
dancers: Diana Cernovitch, Gary Gross, Deborah Hay,
Fred Herko and Deborah Lee

lighting: John Dodd

Herko in Double Concert, photo by Ed Olaksek

Stanzas in Meditation, left to right: Deborah Lee, Deborah Hay, Fred Herko, Gary Gross (in foreground), photo by Peter Moore
 Judson Dance Theater choreographers: Plays:
Fred Herko choreography: Frank O’Hara, Loves Labor, Living Theatre,
Arlene Rothlein, Another Letter to the Sun 1963
Essence of Rope 1960 1959 (Paris)
Deborah Hay, All Day Dance 1963
Possibilities for a Pleasant Outing 1961 Kenneth Koch, Bertha, Living Theatre, 1959
Al Hansen, Parisol 4 Marisol 1963
Edge – A Work for Dancers and Actors 1962 (Officer / Norwegian Citizen)
Al Hansen, Monica Harmonica 1964
Garden 1962 Diane di Prima, Paideuma, Living Theatre, 1960
Elaine Summers, Fantastic Gardens 1964
Another Garden 1962 (staged reading)
Once or Twice a Week I Put on Sneakers and Go Uptown 1962 Diane di Prima, The Discontent of the Russian
Other choreographers:
Like Most People – for Soren 1962 Prince, NYPT, 1961 (Kit and choreography)
William Dollar, The Parliament of the Birds 1958
Little Gym Dance Before the Wall – for Dorothy 1963 James Waring, Nights at the Tango Palace, NYPT,
Alain Bernard, Promenade 1958
Cleanliness Event, with Poo-Poo Cushion Music 1963 1961 (Dummy and choreography)
Gloria Contreras, Wise and Foolish Virgins 1959
(with Michael Malcé) Frank O’Hara, Loves Labor, NYPT, 1964 (Paris
Katherine Litz, Dracula 1960
Binghamton Birdie 1963 and choreography)
Joan Baker, Quartet 1960
Elephant Footprints in the Cheesecake-Walk – for Shirley 1963 Rosalyn Drexler, Home Movies, Judson 1964
Timothy LaFarge, Spy-Fly 1960
(with Deborah Hay) (Peter Peterouter)
Peter Hartman, Dance for Three People 1960
Dervish 1964
Susan Kaufman, Çe n’est pas une sottiste 1960
For Sergio 1964 Music:
Glen Tetley, The Eccentricities of Davy Crockett 1961
Villanelle 1964 Al Hansen, Alice Denham in 48 Seconds: Percussion
Buzz Miller, Postures 1961 (CBS TV)
The Palace of the Dragon Prince – for Jeanne 1964 Piece 1963
Musicals: John Herbert McDowell, Slumber Music for
James Waring choreography: Ratter and Miranda 1963
Oklahoma 1958 (summer stock)
Intrada 1957 George Brecht Comb Music 1963
The Mikado 1958 (summer stock)
Ornaments 1957 George Brecht Dance Music 1963
The King and I 1958 (summer stock)
Dances Before the Wall 1958 Edward Boagni, CЛOH (That’s Not a Butterfly,
Fanny 1958 (summer stock)
Extravaganza 1959 That’s an Elephant!) 1963
Happy Hunting 1958 (summer stock)
Landscape 1959
Where’s Charlie 1958 (summer stock)
In the Mist 1960 Warhol Films:
Girl Crazy 1958 (summer stock)
Tableaux 1960 Jill and Freddy Dancing 1963
Guys and Dolls 1959(summer stock)
Peripateia 1960 Rollerskate / Dance Movie 1963
Student Prince 1959 (summer stock)
Little Kootch Piece No.2 1961 Salome and Delilah 1963
Brigadoon 1959 (summer stock)
Dithyramb 1962 Haircut #1 1963
Show Boat 1959 (summer stock)
Dromenon 1962 Haircut #2 1963
Come Play With Me New York 1959 (dance captain)
At the Hallelujah Gardens 1963 (Icarus) Kiss 1963
South Pacific 1960 (summer stock) (Abner)
Bacchanale 1963 The Thirteen Most Beautiful Boys 1964
Student Prince 1960 (summer stock) (dance captain)
Phrases 1963
Little Mary Sunshine New York 1962 (Yellow Feather)
Divertimento to Anatole Vilzak 1963
Little Mary Sunshine Philadelphia 1963 (summer stock)
Poet’s Vaudeville to Harry Langdon 1963
(Yellow Feather and choreography)
Double Concerto 1964
Stanzas for Meditation to Jeanette MacDonald 1964

John Butler choreography:

Carmina Burana New York City Opera 1960
Esther 1961 (CBS TV)
Ed Sullivan Show 1961
The Mark of Cain 1963 (CBS TV)