The SMU Center for Faith and Learning Presents
Faith & the Arts: Christian Reflections on Performance and Pedagogy
On April 8, the SMU Center for Faith and Learning is hosting Silas Farley, former dancer with the New York City Ballet and current Armstrong Artist in Residence in Ballet in the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University (SMU), to give a talk and dance performance reflecting on his experience of how ballet and his Christian faith intertwine. THis event will also feature performances by SMU student dancers, musicians, and vocalists.
In cooperation with the SMU Center for Faith and Learning, copies of Art House Dallas’ ORIGIN reader, On Embodiment, will be given out to attendees to depend their understanding of the themes Silas will be discussing.
Event Details:
Date: Tuesday, April 8, 2025
Time: Wine and hors d’ouevres at 6:00 pm, Performance at 7:00 pm
Location: Bob Hope Theater at SMU | 6101 Bishop Blvd, Dallas, TX 75205
RSVP Required
About Silas Farley
Silas Farley is a ballet teacher and choreographer. He currently serves as Armstrong Artist in Residence in Ballet in the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University (SMU).
He is a former dancer with New York City Ballet and former Dean of the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute at The Colburn School in Los Angeles, CA.
Farley began his training when he was 7 years old in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. He joined New York City Ballet in 2012 and danced with the Company until 2020.
Farley has taught nationally and internationally, including for the School of American Ballet, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and the Colburn School, and his choreography has been presented at Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center, The Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in Los Angeles, CA, and Teatro Nacional de Cuba in Havana.
In the fall of 2017, Farley was commissioned by MetLiveArts to choreograph a site-specific work at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. That work, Songs From The Spirit, was made in collaboration with the Ear Hustle podcast and was set to music by currently and formerly incarcerated musicians from San Quentin State Prison. The ballet premiered at The Met Museum in 2019.
In 2022, Farley choreographed Fanfare for the Common Man to the score by Aaron Copland as a dance film for The Washington Ballet. The ballet was filmed for Marquee TV on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to mark the monument’s 100th anniversary.
Order the Origin Reader: On Embodiment
This anthology is the loving creation of a community of friends in hope of transformation and an ever-deepening faith. As with previous anthologies, each chapter includes an anchor text, poetry, visual art, and scripture, and prayerful reflection. We hope you will find the authors, poets, and artists to be wise guides and friends as you enter into a companioned journey of exploring mortality in Christ through the door of imagination.
There is a suggested donation of $10 for the reader. This reader is intended to be used alongside the Art House Dallas Origin program, if you are unable to afford this reader and would still love to participate, please fill out this form and let us know your situation.
On Embodiment will be mailed to participants. Pickup dates will be available in Dallas as well.