Unpublished 2014 Interview with Simone Forti on Yoko Ono, Dance, and Aging

In a 2014 conversation, choreographer Simone Forti, who passed away last week at the age of 91, shared her insights on aging and her interactions with Yoko Ono as a trailblazing female artist. During her discussion with Julia Bryan-Wilson, Forti reminisced about first learning of Ono around 1960 and showcasing her work 'Five Dance Constructions and Some Other Things' at Ono's loft in 1961. She described the loft's unrefined charm and pointed out the absence of collaboration among conceptual artists. Forti acknowledged the impact of Ono's Instruction Paintings and John Cage on her work and recalled the poignant performance of Ono's 'Cut Piece.' In 2011, she was honored with the Yoko Ono Lennon Award for Courage in the Arts, reflecting on the contrasting artistic journeys of her generation and contemporary artists.