Simone Forti, an influential Italian American artist, choreographer, and dancer associated with postmodern dance, dies at age 91. Multiple reports say her death occurs in Los Angeles, and that it is announced by Raffaella Cortese, a Milan-based gallery that represents her. Forti trained in the late 1950s in San Francisco under postmodern dance pioneer Anna Halprin. After that training, Forti becomes closely associated with early ideas about expanding what dance can be, influencing how movement is conceived and presented.
The New York Times highlights her work as a “movement artist” whose practice draws inspiration from everyday actions and physical experience. It also emphasizes her “Dance Constructions,” which incorporate elements that relate to sculpture and performance rather than relying on traditional choreographic formats. Across the accounts, Forti is portrayed as a key figure in early 1960s artistic circles and as a lasting influence on subsequent generations of dancers and performance artists.
