Valda Setterfield (born September , ) is a British postmodern dancer
and actress, noted for her work as a soloist with the Merce Cunningham
Dance Company and for her performances in works by her husband,
postmodern choreographer and director David Gordon. She has been
described as his muse. Their son, playwright and actor Ain Gordon, has
worked with Setterfield on a number of projects as well.In England,
Setterfield trained in ballet with Marie Rambert and Audrey De Vos,
and mime with Tamara Karsavina, and performed in English pantomime.
She also performed in an Italian revue. In , on the promise of a
scholarship to study with José Limón, she came to the United States,
following her good friend David Vaughan. Vaughan and Setterfield have
remained good friends.Setterfield appeared with the improvisational
dance company The Grand Union and in the works of Katherine Litz,
Yvonne Rainer, Robert Wilson, Richard Foreman and JoAnne Akalaitis.
She performed with David Gordon â€" whom she first met when they were
both in the company of choreographer James Waring â€" at The Living
Theatre and Judson Dance Theater, and is a founding member of Pick Up
Performance Co(s). She was featured artist on the WNET/PBS Dance
documentary America’s Beyond The Mainstream and in costarred with
Mikhail Baryshnikov in David Gordon's Made in USA for WNET/PBS Great
Performances. In she returned to Rambert as guest artist, performing
in a Gordon’s Mates.Setterfield played Marcel Duchamp in the Bessie-
and Obie Award-winning The Mysteries & What’s So Funny? () and
toured Europe and Japan with the White Oak Dance Project in . She has
acted in the work of her son, playwright Ain Gordon, at Soho Rep and
Dance Theater Workshop and played herself in his Art, Life & Show Biz
at PS and elsewhere. She danced in Gus Solomons Jr.'s A Thin Frost in
.
and actress, noted for her work as a soloist with the Merce Cunningham
Dance Company and for her performances in works by her husband,
postmodern choreographer and director David Gordon. She has been
described as his muse. Their son, playwright and actor Ain Gordon, has
worked with Setterfield on a number of projects as well.In England,
Setterfield trained in ballet with Marie Rambert and Audrey De Vos,
and mime with Tamara Karsavina, and performed in English pantomime.
She also performed in an Italian revue. In , on the promise of a
scholarship to study with José Limón, she came to the United States,
following her good friend David Vaughan. Vaughan and Setterfield have
remained good friends.Setterfield appeared with the improvisational
dance company The Grand Union and in the works of Katherine Litz,
Yvonne Rainer, Robert Wilson, Richard Foreman and JoAnne Akalaitis.
She performed with David Gordon â€" whom she first met when they were
both in the company of choreographer James Waring â€" at The Living
Theatre and Judson Dance Theater, and is a founding member of Pick Up
Performance Co(s). She was featured artist on the WNET/PBS Dance
documentary America’s Beyond The Mainstream and in costarred with
Mikhail Baryshnikov in David Gordon's Made in USA for WNET/PBS Great
Performances. In she returned to Rambert as guest artist, performing
in a Gordon’s Mates.Setterfield played Marcel Duchamp in the Bessie-
and Obie Award-winning The Mysteries & What’s So Funny? () and
toured Europe and Japan with the White Oak Dance Project in . She has
acted in the work of her son, playwright Ain Gordon, at Soho Rep and
Dance Theater Workshop and played herself in his Art, Life & Show Biz
at PS and elsewhere. She danced in Gus Solomons Jr.'s A Thin Frost in
.
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