Zella Wolofsky

Zella Wolofsky
Born1947 (age 76–77)
Canada
EducationMcGill University,
Simon Fraser University,
University of Toronto
Known forModern dance, dance research, human-computer interaction research, teaching
Spouse
​
​
(died 2020)​

Zella Wolofsky (born 1947)[1] is a Canadian modern dancer,[2] researcher, columnist, and educator. During her dance career, she danced with various dance companies including Dancemakers,[3] Winnipeg's Contemporary Dancers, Burnaby Dance, Laura Dean, and independent choreographers such as Jean Pierre Perrault, Muna Tseng, Elizabeth Chitty as part of 15 Dance Labs, founded by Miriam Adams and Lawrence Adams in Toronto, Canada.

Her research became the launchpad for applying computer interpretation to Labanotation at Simon Fraser University,[4][5] which led to the development of LifeForms, the computer program used by Merce Cunningham in the later part of his career.[6][7] Journalist Robert Sarti described her research as a way for choreographers to eventually be able to try out new movements, similar to how a composer might "doodle" on a piano.[8]

  1. ^ "Wolofsky, Zella, 1947-". viaf.org. Retrieved July 22, 2022.
  2. ^ Wyman, Max (April 26, 1974). "Dancers of Vancouver". The Vancouver Sun. p. 96. ISSN 0832-1299 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ^ Studies in Dance History. Society of Dance History Scholars. 1994. p. 69.
  4. ^ Wilke, Lars; Calvert, Tom; Ryman, Rhonda; Fox, Ilene (2003). "Animating the Dance Archives". The 4th International Symposium on Virtual Reality. doi:10.2312/VAST/VAST03/093-100. ISBN 978-3-905673-08-1.
  5. ^ Guest, Ann Hutchinson (1984). Dance Notation: The Process of Recording Movement on Paper. Dance Books. p. 172. ISBN 978-0-903102-75-9.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference :2 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Schibsted, Evantheia (October 1, 1996). "LIfeform". Wired.
  8. ^ Sarti, Robert (January 16, 1973). "Shall We Dance to Computer". The Vancouver Sun. p. 29. ISSN 0832-1299 – via Newspapers.com.