What can I say but Happy Birthday my friend. I miss and think of you often. Just like my dad, you're in my thoughts daily and I remember all the great times we sat to talk over tea at your house. We adopted Sadie from the pound in NYC on your bithday one spring. I remember it like it was yesterday. We joked because you were Taurus and I am Gemini. Now is the time you would be out in your garden enjoying your lilacs and the iris were just about in bloom. Often you already started your garden...a small plot but always productive just the same. You weren't fussy, you'd plant tomatoes anywhere there was room and always said, "maybe this year the peach tree would make peaches" Ironically, the year after you left us, the tree made many fruit like never before. We love and miss you Don and your kindness and friendship is everlasting. Thanks for being such a good friend.
Your friend always,
Paul
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Happy Birthday Donald - May 20
hi don,you're in my thoughts so much, and i want to wish you a nice birthday in that great place you're in, and i know that your friends still think about you a lot. you are remembered and loved. and you did so much good for me, personally, and i will never forget how much you gave me.
signed,
love to dance
signed,
love to dance
Saturday, April 25, 2009
SAYING FAREWELL TO A FRIEND
don was a really giving person......really unselfish. and he wasn't even a relative of mine, but he actually cared about the people he worked with, and he became a friend, even if i didn't get the full impact of it at the time..........i just depended on him so much.........every single physical problem i had.....that doctors didn't know a thing about and couldn't fix.........he could..........i had a badly sprained ankle that wouldn't heal for 7 months, and don knew exactly what was wrong, and after working with him, it was stronger than before the sprain. and i think i would have been an invalid as far as my back, if i didn't know don. and he had such a mind-body way of working, it was really incredible. i wish he could have seen me "grow up," the way i've been doing lately........i was more immature when i knew him. he didn't baby me at all, and could be pretty tough, probably because he realized i wanted to take the easy way out a lot, but he was able to talk about things, and be tolerant when we talked. i really miss don, and i still can't believe he's gone. don........i loved you, even if i couldn't have told you that when you were alive, but i hope it's not too late to say it. don......you were a good person. is the food good where you are? i bet it's good.......because you're in a great place now.........requiem aeternam, don, requiem aeternam. i'm going to play faure's requiem for you now so you'll have some lovely music, too, where you are.
..........signed,
love to dance.
..........signed,
love to dance.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Don Farnworth - Ballet Master, Teacher, Friend
This photo was one I obtained from Don's personal collection and shows Don teaching a ballet class in NYC. I am not sure about the date of this photo and I don't know the identities of any of his students shown but the "Farnworth Technique" is still being taught in NYC by one of Don's dedicated students (Cynthia Vallone) who I was lucky enough to contact just today and catch up on some memories of Don.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Bye Bye Birdie - Original Cast Member
Don Farnworth was the Reporter in the original cast of "Bye Bye Birdie" starring Dick VanDyke and Chita Rivera.
Don was a very expressive entertainer and person. He had many expressions, all of which conveyed emotion and his great passion for life. Although not confirmed, this photo shows Don during his days as a Broadway performer and comes from his personal portfolio. I was lucky enough to obtain access to these photos by permission of his family friend, David Osterhoudt.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Donald J. Farnworth - May 20, 1927-February 20, 2006
OUR LOVING FRIEND DONALD
Don was many things to many people in his 78 years of life. Born in Carey Idaho, on May 20, 1927, he was the son of Nettie Gifford Farnworth and Henry Farnworth. He was a brother to Allen, who is since deceased, and is survived by his other brother Farrin of Emmett Idaho and sister Lois Dennis of Provo Utah.
Growing up as a boy, Don was always thinking about traveling and doing big things with his life and his passions; dance and theater. Don’s parents had a love for dancing and would bring the children on weekends to church dances where Don, his sister and brothers all developed their own love of dancing. Although he had been exposed to theater and dance in his small Idaho town, Don knew he would someday have to travel to the big city to pursue his dreams. Don contracted polio while he was young and eventually overcame the paralyzing disease. Don was a frequent sufferer of ear infections as a child eventually resulting in deafness in one ear.
Don entered the military in 1943 at the age of 18. While in the Army, he received an honorable discharge due to his deafness and returned to Idaho where he studied dance at the Dori Moon Dance Studio in Boise Idaho. With Don’s abilities, his teacher’s told him they couldn’t teach him much more so he soon left Idaho for NYC to pursue his dream of becoming a professional dancer. With his talent and good looks, he quickly became well known in the circles of dance, ballet and theater.
Don performed on Broadway in the original “Bye Bye Birdie” with the likes of Chita Rivera and Dick VanDyke and other original cast members. He danced and acted in a number of other shows and productions like “Shinbone Alley”, further developing his talents and also his own style and eventually his own dance and teaching techniques which he moved on to teach to a large number of students and industry greats in his own NYC dance school and rightfully earned the title of “Ballet Master”.
Don went on to choreograph and contribute to a number of productions and was well respected and loved in many communities.
Don settled in West Milford, NJ and had traveled throughout Europe, eventually buying a small place in Athens, Greece in his later years where he would vacation. He taught dance in Greece, worked on clients and friends and developed his own style and techniques in the specialties of Shiatsu and Reiki for which he became certified as a “Reiki Master”. Don had an intense intuition for the body and the human form. He treated and administered care to a number of clients, patients and friends in his lifetime. He was a natural healer and a generous friend with a big heart.
Don was also a survivor. He suffered from a fall in his later years and injured his hip resulting in the shortening of one leg and a noticeable limp. Don, eventually had a hip replacement, got rid of his shoe lift, and kept on keepin’ on. At 66, Don suffered a serious stroke while in Greece. Don was finally well enough to come home and with the help of his friends he made a full recovery utilizing the techniques he developed to help himself with rehabilitation. Despite life’s handicaps, he continued his work unhindered and as strong as ever. He was a very strong man in body and mind. The “Farnworth Techniques” he created are still being taught today by several of his protégées.
Despite the challenges Don faced, he always had a positive outlook, never complaining about his conditions, especially towards the end; always independent, with a great sense of humor and always optimistic about tomorrow. Don was an inspiration, a teacher and most of all; Don was a great friend to many individuals.
Don, we all love you very much and will miss you dearly, and until we see you again, we will keep your memory and loving, guiding friendship and teachings close to our hearts.
DONALD J. FARNWORTH
MAY 20, 1927 – FEBRUARY 20, 2006
Don was many things to many people in his 78 years of life. Born in Carey Idaho, on May 20, 1927, he was the son of Nettie Gifford Farnworth and Henry Farnworth. He was a brother to Allen, who is since deceased, and is survived by his other brother Farrin of Emmett Idaho and sister Lois Dennis of Provo Utah.
Growing up as a boy, Don was always thinking about traveling and doing big things with his life and his passions; dance and theater. Don’s parents had a love for dancing and would bring the children on weekends to church dances where Don, his sister and brothers all developed their own love of dancing. Although he had been exposed to theater and dance in his small Idaho town, Don knew he would someday have to travel to the big city to pursue his dreams. Don contracted polio while he was young and eventually overcame the paralyzing disease. Don was a frequent sufferer of ear infections as a child eventually resulting in deafness in one ear.
Don entered the military in 1943 at the age of 18. While in the Army, he received an honorable discharge due to his deafness and returned to Idaho where he studied dance at the Dori Moon Dance Studio in Boise Idaho. With Don’s abilities, his teacher’s told him they couldn’t teach him much more so he soon left Idaho for NYC to pursue his dream of becoming a professional dancer. With his talent and good looks, he quickly became well known in the circles of dance, ballet and theater.
Don performed on Broadway in the original “Bye Bye Birdie” with the likes of Chita Rivera and Dick VanDyke and other original cast members. He danced and acted in a number of other shows and productions like “Shinbone Alley”, further developing his talents and also his own style and eventually his own dance and teaching techniques which he moved on to teach to a large number of students and industry greats in his own NYC dance school and rightfully earned the title of “Ballet Master”.
Don went on to choreograph and contribute to a number of productions and was well respected and loved in many communities.
Don settled in West Milford, NJ and had traveled throughout Europe, eventually buying a small place in Athens, Greece in his later years where he would vacation. He taught dance in Greece, worked on clients and friends and developed his own style and techniques in the specialties of Shiatsu and Reiki for which he became certified as a “Reiki Master”. Don had an intense intuition for the body and the human form. He treated and administered care to a number of clients, patients and friends in his lifetime. He was a natural healer and a generous friend with a big heart.
Don was also a survivor. He suffered from a fall in his later years and injured his hip resulting in the shortening of one leg and a noticeable limp. Don, eventually had a hip replacement, got rid of his shoe lift, and kept on keepin’ on. At 66, Don suffered a serious stroke while in Greece. Don was finally well enough to come home and with the help of his friends he made a full recovery utilizing the techniques he developed to help himself with rehabilitation. Despite life’s handicaps, he continued his work unhindered and as strong as ever. He was a very strong man in body and mind. The “Farnworth Techniques” he created are still being taught today by several of his protégées.
Despite the challenges Don faced, he always had a positive outlook, never complaining about his conditions, especially towards the end; always independent, with a great sense of humor and always optimistic about tomorrow. Don was an inspiration, a teacher and most of all; Don was a great friend to many individuals.
Don, we all love you very much and will miss you dearly, and until we see you again, we will keep your memory and loving, guiding friendship and teachings close to our hearts.
DONALD J. FARNWORTH
MAY 20, 1927 – FEBRUARY 20, 2006
Don Farnworth Ballet Performance
One of many photos of Don in his early years dancing and performing. Don began his career as a ballet dancer and performer. He was a natural entertainer. Only later in his life would he open the renowned Farnworth-Hauer Dance Studio in NYC and began his next phase in life as teacher and "Ballet Master". Don would later use these life experiences and many more to develop the "Farnworth Technique" which incorporated dance, and healing which he used to train and heal many students and performers in the arts throughout the USA and Europe.
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