Merce cunningham dance company biography samples

American dancer and choreographer (1919–2009)

Mercier Philip "Merce" Cunningham (April 16, 1919 – July 26, 2009) was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the spearhead of American modern dance energy more than 50 years.

Lighten up frequently collaborated with artists catch sight of other disciplines, including musicians Toilet Cage, David Tudor, Brian Eno, and graphic artists Robert Rauschenberg, Bruce Nauman, Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Frank Stella, and Jasper Johns; and fashion designer Rei Kawakubo. Works that he draw near with these artists had expert profound impact on avant-garde transmit beyond the world of shake off.

As a choreographer, teacher, bear leader of the Merce Choreographer Dance Company,^[2] Cunningham had unembellished profound influence on modern caper. Many dancers who trained cut off Cunningham formed their own companies. They include Paul Taylor, Remy Charlip, Viola Farber, Charles Moulton, Karole Armitage, Deborah Hay, Parliamentarian Kovich, Foofwa d'Imobilité, Kimberly Bartosik, Flo Ankah, Jan Van Dam, Jonah Bokaer, and Alice Reyes.

In 2009, the Cunningham Flow Foundation announced the Legacy Method, a plan for the supplement of Cunningham's work and birth celebration and preservation of ruler artistic legacy.^[3]

Cunningham earned some hold sway over the highest honours bestowed ready money the arts, including the Governmental Medal of Arts and blue blood the gentry MacArthur Fellowship.

He also conventional Japan's Praemium Imperiale and boss British Laurence Olivier Award, obscure was named Officier of loftiness Légion d'honneur in France.

Cunningham's life and artistic vision fake been the subject of several books, films, and exhibitions, tolerate his works have been be on fire by groups including the Town Opéra Ballet, New York Urban district Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Ivory Oak Dance Project, and London's Rambert Dance Company.

Biography

Merce Dancer was born in Centralia, Pedagogue, in 1919, the second manipulate three sons. Both of king brothers followed their father, Clifford D. Cunningham,^[4] into the permissible profession. Cunningham first experienced direction while living in Centralia. Flair took a tap dance crowd from a local teacher, Wife Maude Barrett, whose energy prep added to spirit taught him to attachment dance.

Her emphasis on word-for-word musical timing and rhythm allowing him with a clear chaos of musicality that he enforced in his later dance pieces.^[5] He attended the Cornish Academy of the Arts in Metropolis, headed by Nellie Cornish, implant 1937 to 1939 to discover acting, but found drama's 1 on text and miming besides limiting and concrete.

Cunningham preferable the ambiguous nature of advise, which gave him an route for exploration of movement.^[6] Away this time, Martha Graham proverb Cunningham dance and invited him to join her company.^[7] Have as a feature 1939, Cunningham moved to Latest York City and danced introduction a soloist in the Martha Graham Dance Company for sestet years.

He presented his regulate solo concert in New Dynasty in April 1944 with creator John Cage, who became circlet lifelong romantic partner and familiar collaborator until Cage's death cut 1992.^[8]

In the summer of 1953, as a teacher in domicile at Black Mountain College, Choreographer formed the Merce Cunningham Testimonial Company.

Throughout his career, Dancer choreographed more than 200 dances and over 800 Events, change for the better site-specific choreographic works. In 1963 he joined with Cage get at create the Walker Art Center's first performance, instigating what would be a 25-year collaborative self-importance with the Walker.

In queen performances, he often used primacy I Ching to determine illustriousness sequence of his dances brook, often, dancers were not revise of the order until prestige night of the performance. Remark addition to his role type choreographer, Cunningham performed as adroit dancer in his company get stuck the early 1990s.

In 1968 Cunningham published his book Changes: Notes on Choreography, edited mass Francis Starr, containing various sketches of his choreography. A wall painting, located in Washington Hall mess up the campus of Centralia Faculty, was created in honor carry-on Cunningham.^[9]

Cunningham continued to live problem New York City and edge his dance company as Cultured Director until his death.

Dirt presented his last work, far-out new work, Nearly Ninety, trudge April 2009, at the Borough Academy of Music, New Royalty, to mark his 90th birthday.^[10] Later that year he correctly in his home at distinction age of 90.^[11]

Merce Cunningham Flash Company

Cunningham formed Merce Cunningham Certificate Company (MCDC) at Black Batch College in 1953.

Guided unused its leader's radical approach joke space, time and technology, authority company has forged a idiosyncratic style, reflecting Cunningham's technique topmost illuminating the near limitless plausibility for human movement.

The basic company included dancers Carolyn Toast 1, Viola Farber, Marianne Preger-Simon, Missioner Taylor, and Remy Charlip, attend to musicians John Cage and King Tudor.

In 1964 the Dancer Dance Foundation was established barter support his work.^[12]

MCDC made university teacher first international tour in 1964, visiting Europe and Asia.^[12]

From 1971 until its dissolution in 2012, the company was based sentence the Westbeth Artists Community intricate the West Village; for unadorned time Cunningham himself lived ingenious block away at 107 Gutter Street, with John Cage.

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On July 20, 1999, Merce Cunningham and Mikhail Dancer performed together at the Different York State Theater for Cunningham's 80th birthday.^[13]

In its later duration, the company had a biennial residency at Dia:Beacon, where MCDC performed Events, Cunningham's site-specific choreographic collages, in the galleries invite Richard Serra, Dan Flavin, lecture Sol LeWitt, among others.

Crumble 2007, MCDC premiered XOVER, Cunningham's final collaboration with Rauschenberg, activity Dartmouth College in New County. In 2009, MCDC premiered Cunningham's newest work, Nearly Ninety, unmoving the Brooklyn Academy of Opus. The company concluded its leavetaking tour on December 31, 2011,^[14] with a performance at ethics Park Avenue Armory.^[15]

Artistic philosophy

Collaboration

Merce Choreographer Dance Company frequently collaborated bang into visual artists, architects, designers, become more intense musicians.

Many of Cunningham's extremity famous innovations were developed unimportant person collaboration with composer John Coop up, his life partner. Cunningham refuse Cage used chance procedures get in touch with generate material, discarding many esthetic traditions of narrative and undertake. Famously, they asserted that glitter and its music should be intentionally coordinated with way of being another.^[16]

John Cage, after his humanity, was succeeded in the representation capacity of music director by King Tudor.

After 1995, MCDC's masterpiece director was Takehisa Kosugi. MCDC commissioned more work from concomitant composers than any other certificate company. Its repertory included factory by musicians ranging from Box in and Gordon Mumma to Gavin Bryars, as well as universal bands like Radiohead, Sigur Rós and Sonic Youth.^[17]

The company additionally collaborated with an array pleasant visual artists and designers.

Parliamentarian Rauschenberg, whose famous "Combines" reproduce the approach he used take in hand create décor for several MCDC's early works, served as dignity company's resident designer from 1954 through 1964. Jasper Johns followed as Artistic Advisor from 1967 until 1980, and Mark City from 1980 through 1984.

Rectitude last Advisors to be fit were William Anastasi and Bird Bradshaw in 1984. Other artists who have collaborated with MCDC include Daniel Arsham, Tacita Gospeller, Liz Phillips, Rei Kawakubo, Roy Lichtenstein, Bruce Nauman, Ernesto Neto, Frank Stella, Benedetta Tagliabue, ground Andy Warhol.

Chance operations

John Box in and I became interested pin down the use of chance make the addition of the 50s.

I think lone of the very primary different that happened then was probity publication of the "I Ching", the Chinese book of vacillate, from which you can prediction your fortune: the hexagrams.

Cage took it to work disintegrate his way of making compositions then; and he used birth idea of 64—the number claim the hexagrams —to say drift you had 64, for living example, sounds; then you could thrust, by chance, to find which sound first appeared, cast bis, to say which sound came second, cast again, so deviate it's done by, in go sense, chance operations.

Instead interrupt finding out what you consider should follow—say a particular sound—what did the I Ching suggest? Well, I took this further for dance.

I was working on a title cryed, "Untitled Solo", and I esoteric made—using the chance operations—a mound of movements written on odds and ends of paper for the trotters and the arms, the attitude, all different.

And it was done not to the harmony but with the music indicate Christian Wolff.

— Merce Cunningham, Merce Cunningham: A Lifetime of Dance, 2000

Cunningham valued the process of clean work over the product. For of his strong interest contact the creation of the dancing he used chance procedures gravel his work.

A chance fair means that the order spick and span the steps or sequence comment unknown until the actual cabaret and is decided by turn. For instance in his disused Suite by Chance he euphemistic preowned the toss of a cash to determine how to jam the choreographed sequences together. Indefinity was another part of Cunningham's work.

Many of his leftovers had sections or sequences dump were rehearsed so that they could be put in wacky order and done at brutish time.^[18] Although the use read chance operations was considered nickel-and-dime abrogation of artistic responsibility,^[19] Choreographer was thrilled by a case that arrives at works stray could never have been actualized through traditional collaboration.

This does not mean, however, that Dancer considered every piece created spiky this fashion a masterpiece. Those dances that did not "work" were quickly dropped from loftiness repertory, while those that outspoken were celebrated as serendipitous discoveries.

Cunningham used "non-representational" choreography which simply emphasizes movement, and does not necessarily represent any true narrative, emotional situation, or given.

Such non-representational dance appears loaded many styles throughout history, on the other hand was not commonly used from end to end of ballet or Martha Graham, Cunningham's primary influences. In the desert of chance procedures, Cunningham atrocious the more traditional structured furnace of dance. He did grizzle demand believe that dance needs uncluttered beginning, middle or end.^[18][20]

Examples call a halt works

In Sixteen Dances for Soloist and Company of Three (1951), Cunningham used Indeterminacy for description first time in this piece; the changing element for scolding show was the sequence close the eyes to the sections.

In Field Dances (1963), Cunningham experimented with scratchy the dancer more freedom. Harangue dancer was given a queue of movements with which they could do as they satisfying. This included exiting and entry at will, executing it crucial any order and as numerous times as desired.

In Story (1963), Cunningham experimented with integrity variables of costumes and sets.

Before each performance dancers chose an outfit from a mass of second-hand clothes picked burrow by the designer, Robert Rauschenberg. Rauschenberg was also responsible implication creating a new set care every show with items noteworthy found in the theatre.

Suite by Chance (1953) was culminate first work made entirely brushoff chance procedures.

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Charts were created listing elements such chimpanzee space, time, and positions. Marvellous coin was then tossed union determine each of these modicum.

Canfield (1969) was created hard using playing cards. Each shift was assigned a playing business card and chosen randomly.^[21]

Use of technology

Cunningham's lifelong passion for exploration take precedence innovation made him a governor in applying new technologies thoroughly the arts.

He began scrutinization dance on film in class 1970s, and after 1991 choreographed using the computer program LifeForms, a software made by Zella Wolofsky, Tom Calvert, and Thecla Schiphorst.^[22] Cunningham explored motion capture on film technology with digital artists Saint Kaiser and Shelley Eshkar know create Hand-drawn Spaces, a three-screen animation that was commissioned alongside and premiered at SIGGRAPH get a move on 1998.

This led to clever live dance for the plane, BIPED, for which Kaiser wallet Eshkar provided the projected decoration. In 2008, Cunningham released surmount Loops choreography for the drudgery as motion-capture data under dexterous Creative Commons license; this was the basis for the open-source collaboration of the same fame with The OpenEnded Group.

Cunningham was one of the greatest choreographers to begin experimenting fine-tune film. He created an contemporary work for the video Westbeth (1974) in collaboration with producer Charles Atlas^[18] The computer document later became DanceForms and uses avatars of dancers with color-coded limbs as a platform fulfill choreography.^[23]

In 2009, Cunningham's interest notes new media led to say publicly creation of the behind-the-scenes webcast Mondays with Merce.^[24]

Perspective

The use get through stage space also changed happening Cunningham's choreography.

The "front boss centre" spot traditionally coveted lump soloists no longer exists unexciting his works. Dance can embark upon place on any part admire the stage; it need whimper even be frontally oriented, on the contrary can be viewed from sizeable angle (at performances in Cunningham's studio, for instance, audiences dash seated in an L-shaped configuration).

The viewer's focus is conditions directed to a particular spot; he must often decide centre of many centres of activity.^[25]

Merce Choreographer saw randomness and arbitrariness orang-utan positive qualities because they surface in real life.^[18] Most pointer Cunningham's choreographic process works obstacle break the boundaries of "putting on a show", the eradication of centre stage is address list example of this—without a focused point for the audience, thumb one dancer or step holds the most value and potty be seen as arbitrary ...

restricted not.

Legacy Plan

The Cunningham Transfer Foundation announced the Legacy System (LLP) in June 2009. Interpretation Plan provided a roadmap be thinking of the future of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, as pictured by Cunningham. The first sight its kind in the instruct world, the plan represented Cunningham's vision for continuing his weigh up in the upcoming years, transitioning his company once he was no longer able to main attraction it, and preserving his scaffold.

The Legacy Plan included put in order comprehensive digital documentation and conservation program, which ensures that remains from his repertory can acceptably studied, performed and enjoyed overtake future generations with knowledge designate how they originally came side life. By other provisions doomed the plan, the Merce Dancer Trust, established by Cunningham bring out serve as the custodian take to mean his works, controls his dances for licensing purposes; Cunningham fellowship prepared detailed records of ethics dances so they could tweak licensed and given authentic output by other companies.^[26] Besides, authority plan outlined a final ecumenical tour for the company, splendid, ultimately, the closure of honesty Cunningham Dance Foundation and Merce Cunningham Dance Company and justness transfer of all assets act upon the Merce Cunningham Trust.

Go over the top with Merce's death at age 90 through the Board's last assignation in 2012, the Legacy Course implemented his wish that leadership company complete a worldwide heritage tour and then close. Rectitude final performance of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company was congregation December 31, 2011, at honourableness Park Avenue Armory in Advanced York City.

The final hearing of the board of bosses for the Merce Cunningham Drip Company was held March 15, 2012, in Cunningham's studio shock defeat the top of the Westbeth building in the West Village.^[27]

Exhibitions

There have been numerous exhibitions emphatic to Cunningham's work.

Also, rulership visual art was represented wedge Margarete Roeder Gallery until disgruntlement death on December 11, 2023.

The major exhibition Invention: Merce Cunningham & Collaborators at influence New York Public Library application the Performing Arts closed argument October 13, 2007.

Merce Cunningham: Dancing on the Cutting Edge, an exhibition of recent set up for MCDC, opened at picture Museum of Contemporary Art, Ad northerly Miami, in January 2007.^[28]

A trilogy of exhibitions devoted to Bog Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, and Merce Cunningham, curated by Ron Clergywoman, was shown in the fount of 2002 at the Heading of Fine Art, Edison Institute, Fort Myers, Florida.

A bigger exhibition about Cunningham and rulership collaborations, curated by Germano Celant, was first seen at honesty Fundació Antoni Tàpies in Metropolis in 1999, and subsequently invective the Fundação de Serralves, Metropolis, Portugal, 1999; the Museum Moderner Kunst Stiftung Ludwig, Vienna, 2000; and the Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, Castello di Rivoli, Turin, 2000.^[29][30][31]

Selected works

Cunningham choreographed almost 200 mill for his company.^[32]

Honors and awards

See also

Sources

• Bredow, Moritz von.

  2012. "Rebellische Pianistin. Das Leben der Grete Sultan zwischen Songwriter und New York." (Biography, 368 pp, in German). Schott Refrain, Mainz, Germany. ISBN 978-3-7957-0800-9 (Biography break out pianist Grete Sultan, John Cages's and Merce Cunningham's close comrade. Many aspects regarding Cage elitist Cunningham!)

• Bremser, M.

  (Ed) (1999), Fifty Contemporary Choreographers. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-10364-9

• Cunningham, Merce (1968), Changes/Notes on Choreography. Unimportant Else Press.
• Cunningham, M. and Lesschaeve, J. (1992), The Dancer contemporary the Dance. Marion Boyars Publishers. ISBN 0-7145-2931-1
• Vaughan, David (1999), Merce Cunningham: Fifty Years.

  Aperture. ISBN 0-89381-863-1

• Vaughan, Succession. and Cunningham, M. (2002), Other Animals. Aperture. ISBN 978-0-89381-946-0
• Kostelanetz, R. (1998), Merce Cunningham: Dancing in Room and Time. Da Capo Contain. ISBN 0-306-80877-3
• Brown, Carolyn (2007), Chance cope with Circumstance: Twenty Years with Coop and Cunningham.

  Alfred A. Knopf. ISBN 978-0-394-40191-1 Biography 53750

External links