Elisa Monte, the veteran choreographer, will retire as artistic director of Elisa Monte Dance, the noted modern dance company she started in 1981. Ms. Monte, 68, announced her retirement on Monday night, following a private tour of the Fashion Institute of Technology’s “Dance & Fashion” exhibition. Tiffany Rea-Fisher, the company’s associate artistic director, will take over from Ms. Monte in 2016.
“Movement talks about things that words can’t – it’s a symbolic language that connects all cultures,” Ms. Monte said Monday in announcing her plans. “This constant investigation, exploration and evolution of movement is the legacy I feel Iike I leave behind for the next generation of dancers and choreographers.”
Ms. Rea-Fisher joined Elisa Monte Dance in 2004, taking on roles as principal dancer and developing the company’s education outreach.
Ms. Monte made her professional debut dancing with Agnes DeMille in the 1957 revival of “Carousel” and has been a principal dancer with the Martha Graham Dance Company, among others. Her company has more than 40 repertory works and is known for its physical vigor and a style that defies categorization.