During the one year that Farber spent at the University of Illinois studying music, she began taking dance classes from Margaret Erlanger.

By 1952, Farber had transferred once again, to Black Mountain College was dance with Katherine Litz and music with Lou Harrison.

[clarification needed] In 1953, Farber became a founding member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.

She performed the role of the vampire in Litz's Dracula as well as dancing with Paul Taylor's early company.

Farber was the only female pianist in the first performance of Erik Satie's Vexations (organized by John Cage, and lasting over 18 hours).

[1] She allowed her dancers to rearrange and reshape the movement, however she set explicit limits.