Lasting Memories

Lisa Burnett
March 9, 1952-Jan. 16, 2026
Menlo Park, California

Lisa Burnett, 73, passed away at her home in Menlo Park on January 16, 2026. She had a life full of friendships, family, dance, horses, cats, Pilates, Shiatsu, music, travel, cooking, and Cosmos. She spent a lifetime creating dances and inspiring others to bring dance into their lives as well as strength and grace into their bodies. Her home became a gathering place for a coterie of dedicated followers, many of whom remained friends across decades. Lisa was born in Salt Lake City on March 9, 1952 to Barbara (Rosenblatt) and Ted Burnett. By the age of 10, she was a burgeoning, determined equestrian. She convinced her parents to buy her a retired show horse, Geyser, for $150. Ever since, she devoted herself to all the horses she rode with such elegance. Her last horse, Addie (a Haflinger) brought her great joy through her final battle with a relentless sarcoma. She was just starting to learn the art of Dressage which combined her lifetime of dance movement -- holding awareness of every part of the body at once -- and communicating with a horse in small, subtle cues.

She graduated from Olympus High in 1970, and following her mother’s path, went to Stanford University where her freshman roommate sparked an interest in dance. She graduated Cum Laude in 1974 with a BA in Human Biology and stayed on get an MA in Dance. The program was led by Inga Weiss, who had performed with Mary Wigman, a pioneer of modern dance. While dancing with the Khadra Folk Dance group, she met fellow dance enthusiast and future husband, Larry Cofer. On their way to a folk-dance workshop in Poland, they bicycled around Europe. They married on August 6, 1978, 47 years ago.

Early in her career, Lisa taught modern dance at Bay Area colleges and took ballet with Richard Gibson in Palo Alto. When Larry Rhodes came to teach ballet at Richard’s studio, his style of dance, inspired by José Limón, touched her so deeply that she followed him to NYU Tisch School of Dance to get an MFA just so she could take class with him. Another big influence on Lisa’s flowing style of modern dance was Aaron Osborn, who taught in San Francisco. For over 40 years, Lisa taught modern dance at Zohar Dance Company in Palo Alto. She developed a loyal group of students who also became long-time friends.

A healer at heart and a relentless student of the human body, Lisa got certified in both Shiatsu (Japanese pressure massage) and Pilates. With massage, she helped many clients with their pain, including some in hospice. Through Pilates she connected her students with their body, healthy alignment and flowing strength. A special teacher, her gentle corrections and clever visual images filled her home studio with loyal followers for decades.

Many will miss her. She was preceded in death by her parents and infant son Zachary. She is survived by husband Larry Cofer, son Wyatt Burnett and his partner Lacey Eberl, brothers Tom and David, sisters in law Harriet and Iris.