Olivia Farmerie is from Harmony Pennsylvania and is currently a first year Dance MFA Candidate concentrating in Choreography. Her work focuses on how improvisation can be healing for the body, specifically how one can release trauma stored in the body through subconscious spontaneous movement. Through her research, she hopes to act as a guide to help dancers heal from their trauma while releasing the stigma that is carried with the word. Liv strives to create a safe, open, and loving environment within herself so she can meet the world the same way, spreading authenticity and positivity wherever she goes. She hopes to explore her research further and gain more knowledge within her areas of interest at her time at the University of Iowa.

Receiving a BFA degree from Slippery Rock University (PA) in 2024, Olivia has had the pleasure to work with outstanding guest artists and faculty during her time there. In 2023, she partook in a residency with Nathan Trice, learning and performing his original work Their Speech is Silver, Their Silence is Gold, dancing a featured role. Earlier that year, she traveled to New York City to perform Martha Graham’s Steps in the Street on the Joyce Theater Stage as part of the University Partners Showcase. In 2022, she worked with Héléne Simaneau, learning and performing her work, Paper Wings. Olivia was able to represent SRU at The American College Dance Association (ACDA) on many occasions, including performing her original solo work i saw a ghost, in 2024. Liv received her YTT Yoga Teacher Certification in 2020, spiking her interest in how movement can be healing for the mind, body, and soul. Through these experiences, Olivia has gained valuable knowledge she hopes to apply to her studies in the upcoming years.