[27], Suite for Five (1956–1958) Merce Cunningham: A Lifetime of Dance . After moving to New York City, he spent six years performing with the Martha Graham Dance Company. We’ll discuss the early period of his life and then move onto his major career highlights. Décor: Benedetta Tagliabue Cunningham and Cage used stochastic (random) procedures to generate material, discarding many artistic traditions of narrative and form. MacNeil-Lehrer Productions, 1999. Dance can take place on any part of the stage; it need not even be frontally oriented, but can be viewed from any angle (at performances in Cunningham's studio, for instance, audiences are seated in an L-shaped configuration). Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts, Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle WA, 2005 In 2009, MCDC premiered Cunningham's newest work, Nearly Ninety, at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. He created a body of work which is now a powerful and inspiring legacy. I recognized with great pleasure the games from “Signals” (1970) and a superb duet from “Interscape,” performed by Melissa Toogood and Brandon Collwes. Composite image of Merce Cunningham pieces: (interior) Merce Cunningham Dance Company performing Anniversary Event during the exhibition of Olafur Eliasson’s The Weather Project at Tate Modern in London, November 2003; a screen shot of Décor for Scramble (1967) on Event for Television, 1977. Dance and Performance Award for Best Performance by a Visiting Artist, London, England Lighting: Josh Johnson, Nearly Ninety (2009) A Cunningham Technique class is a rigorous 90-minute class that includes a thorough 45-minute warm-up followed by a series of diverse movement phrases. Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur, France, 1988 Rauschenberg was also responsible for creating a new set for every show with items he found in the theatre. Cunningham created over 180 dances, many of which are in the repertories of ballet and modern dance companies worldwide. The Company concluded its farewell tour on December 31, 2011[14] with a performance at the Park Avenue Armory.[15]. In 2009, the Cunningham Dance Foundation announced the Legacy Plan, a precedent-setting plan for the continuation of Cunningham's work and the celebration and preservation of his artistic legacy.[3]. Directed by Alla Kovgan. The major exhibition Invention: Merce Cunningham & Collaborators at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts closed on October 13, 2007. BITEF Award, Belgrade, Yugoslavia He began investigating dance on film in the 1970s, and after 1991 choreographed using the computer program LifeForms. He started his life in Centralia, Washington and ended his days in the Big Apple. Interview with Merce Cunningham. After 1995, MCDC's music director was Takehisa Kosugi. As a choreographer, teacher, and leader of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company,[2] Cunningham had a profound influence on modern dance. Christine Shallenberg (2008), Sounddance (1975) Tiffany Award from the International Society of Performing Arts Administrators, New York NY, 1990 Charts were created listing elements such as space, time, and positions. Both pieces were inspired by the works of … Porselli Prize, Italy For example, he might toss a coin in order to figure out the next move. Cunningham was a bold pioneer who was a visionary. The Trust exists to ensure that this work is preserved, enhanced and maintained, and that the public has access to it. Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) was an innovative modern dancer, choreographer, and dance company founder. MacArthur Fellowship from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Chicago IL, 1984 Décor: Robert Heishman, Catherine Yass They were collaborators who put on yearly recitals in New York City. The Merce Cunningham Dance Company amplified the solos performed by Baryshnikov with material from events, excerpts from the repertory. As a teacher in residence at Black Mountain College in the summer of 1953, Cunningham formed the Merce Cunningham Dance Company as a forum to explore his new ideas on dance and the performing arts. With a large company (16 members, including musicians, designers and administrators) and a packed schedule (30 stops in 14 countries), the tour was an expensive undertaking. Cunningham explored motion capture technology with digital artists Paul Kaiser and Shelley Eshkar to create Hand-drawn Spaces, a three-screen animation that was commissioned by and premiered at SIGGRAPH in 1998. Fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, New York NY. Cunningham was one of the first choreographers to begin experimenting with film. Décor: Paul Kaiser, Shelley Eshkar Many dancers who trained with Cunningham formed their own companies. Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale, Italy, 1993 This Trust was created in 2000, by Cunningham himself, and it functions as the custodian for all of Cunningham’s work. While he was a teenager, he learned more about dancing, via a vaudevillian and circus performer named Maude Barrett. Born in Centralia, Washington, on April 19, 1919, Merce Cunningham studied modern dance under Bonnie Bird in Seattle. His choreography for his own dance company was inspired by a range of unsystematic phenomena, which were utilized in order to determine structure. The career of Merce Cunningham (born 1919 in Centralia, Washington; died 2009 in New York City) was notable not only for its major achievement in contemporary dance but also for its many strong collaborations with major artists, designers and composers. Video Design: Franc Aleu, 2009 The technique emphasizes clarity of form, coordination of torso and legwork, rhythmic accuracy, spatial awareness and virtuosity. Over the course of his nearly 70-year career, Merce Cunningham (1919–2009) redefined the visual and performing arts through pioneering collaborations with leading artists, designers, and musicians. In 2007, MCDC premiered XOVER, Cunningham's final collaboration with Rauschenberg, at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire. He became a soloist at her company and created a series of notable roles. He remained with Graham until he started his own troupe, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, in 1953. Career Transition for Dancers Award, New York NY Cunningham formed Merce Cunningham Dance Company (MCDC) at Black Mountain College in 1953. Reviewed by Rose Anne Thom. Clearly, the two made a perfect pair, on and off the stage. In the 1990s, he made into the National Museum of Dance’s Hall of Fame. Kennedy Center Honors, Washington DC Merce Cunningham Dance Company Collection. He made the switch to Seattle’s Cornish School of Fine Arts during 1937. The original company included dancers Carolyn Brown, Viola Farber, Paul Taylor, and Remy Charlip and musicians such as John Cage and David Tudor. Décor: Daniel Arsham, ODE/EON [16], After his death, John Cage was succeeded in the role of music director by David Tudor. Works that he produced with these artists had a profound impact on avant-garde art beyond the world of dance. Cunningham began to study dance at 12 years of age. The key to the City of Montpellier, France, 1998 Cunningham's life and artistic vision have been the subject of numerous books, films, and exhibitions, and his works have been presented by groups including the Paris Opéra Ballet, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, White Oak Dance Project, and London's Rambert Dance Company. Cunningham, M. and Lesschaeve, J. He took tap class from a local teacher, Mrs Maude Barrett, whose energy and spirit taught him to love dance. Carina Ari Award (Grand Prix Video Danse with Elliot Caplan), Stockholm, Sweden The official establishment of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company took place at Black Mountain College in August 1953. Cunningham valued the process of a work over the product. Merce Cunningham Dance Company in Assemblage. Merce Cunningham: A Lifetime of Dance . Music: John Cage, Music for Piano Merce also attended Mills College during 1938 and went to Bennington College the next year. The iconic Merce Cunningham and the last generation of his dance company is stunningly profiled in Alla Kovgan's 3D documentary, through recreations of his landmark works and archival footage of Cunningham, John Cage, and Robert Rauschenberg. He subsequently studied at Mills College (1938) with dancer and choreographer Lester Horton and at Bennington College (1939), where he was invited by Martha Graham to join her group. In Field Dances (1963) Cunningham experimented with giving the dancer more freedom. Barnard College Medal of Distinction, New York NY Cunningham’s lifelong passion for exploration and innovation has made him a leader Merce Cunningham grew up in Centrailia, Washington, and began dancing at age 20. While at the fine arts school in Seattle, Cunningham decided to major in dance, rather than focusing on theater as he’d planned. His tap dancing allowed him to enter into the world of theater. Grand Prix of the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques, France, 1996 Nijinsky Special Prize, Monaco [18] During the mid-1980s, he was given a MacArthur Fellowship and also received honors from the Kennedy Center. [4], Merce Cunningham was born in Centralia, Washington in 1919, the second of three sons. Facts about Merce Cunningham 3: Merce Cunningham Dance Company. He was born in April of 1919 and passed away during the summer of 2009. He also received Japan's Praemium Imperiale and a British Laurence Olivier Award, and was named Officier of the Légion d'honneur in France. This is why he danced. Music: David Tudor Although the use of chance operations was considered an abrogation of artistic responsibility,[19] Cunningham was thrilled by a process that arrives at works that could never have been created through traditional collaboration. The Cunningham Dance Foundation announced the Legacy Plan (LLP) in June 2009. One of this first works was called “Root of an Unfocus”. Lighting: Richard Nelson (1970) He was a director and writer, known for Variations V (1966), Deli Commedia (1984) and Merce Cunningham (1998). He was also known to use the I Ching in order to bring exciting chance into the mix! Well, I took this also for dance. Commandeur de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, France, 1972 Merce Cunningham (April 16, 1919–July 26, 2009) is widely considered to be one of the most important choreographers of all time. The Merce Cunningham Trust website is a great place to access so much factual and interesting information about this American dance pioneer and his life and times. Each dancer was given a sequence of movements with which they could do as they pleased. Few dancers and/or choreographers have been so innovative and so passionate about their craft. As well, his long relationship with John Cage was heartwarming and very inspirational in term of driving him to produce his best work. Music: Mikel Rouse, International Cloud Atlas [8] In 1939, Cunningham moved to New York and danced as a soloist in the Martha Graham Dance Company for six years. Merce Cunningham (April 16, 1919–July 26, 2009) is widely considered to be one of the most important choreographers of all time. Cédric Andrieux, director of dance at the Conservatory, and former dancer of Merce Cunningham Dance Company, decided to bring together the one hundred and twenty students in the Conservatory's percussion class for this giant event proposed at La Villette in November 2019, the framework of the Autumn Festival in Paris. Photo by James Klosty 1968. Such non-representational dance appears in many styles throughout history, but was not commonly used by ballet or Martha Graham, Cunningham's primary influences. Soon enough, theater life became captivating. I recognized with great pleasure the games from “Signals” (1970) and a superb duet from “Interscape,” performed by Melissa Toogood and Brandon Collwes. Music: Conlon Nancarrow (from Rhythm Studies for Player Piano) Both his brothers followed their father, Clifford D. Cunningham,[5] into the legal profession. The Mayor of New York's Award of Honor for Arts and Culture, New York NY, 1982 He was notable for frequent collaboration with artists of other disciplines, including musicians John 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. In 1945, Cunningham departed the dance company of Martha Graham and started working with John Cage. From Merce's death at age 90 through the Board's last meeting in 2012, the Legacy Plan implemented his wish that the Company complete a worldwide legacy tour and then close. A Cunningham Technique class is a rigorous 90-minute class that includes a thorough 45-minute warm-up followed by a series of diverse movement phrases. Jacob's Pillow Dance Award The Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize, New York NY Merce Cunningham was an American modern dancer and teacher, most remembered as an innovative and influential choreographer. In his performances, he often used the I Ching to determine the sequence of his dances and, often, dancers were not informed of the order until the night of the performance. Music: John Cage, (Cheap Imitation) The last Advisors to be appointed were William Anastasi and Dove Bradshaw in 1984. The final meeting of the Board of Directors for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company was held March 15, 2012, in Cunningham's studio at the top of the Westbeth building in the West Village.[26]. Merce Cunningham Biography. Music: John Cage, Aria (1958) and Fontana Mix (1958) Costumes: James Hall Merce Cunningham, who has died aged 90, was one of the greatest choreographers of the 20th century, and the greatest American-born one. All images courtesy of Beth Weinstein.] Throughout his career, Cunningham choreographed more than 200 dances and over 800 "Events," or site-specific choreographic works. Canfield (1969) was created by using playing cards. He created an original work for the video Westbeth (1974) in collaboration with filmmaker Charles Atlas[18] The computer program later became DanceForms and uses avatars of dancers with color-coded limbs as a platform for choreography. (Biography, 368 pp, in German). Cunningham asked Rauschenberg to make something for 'dance area' something "he could move through, around, and with” and from there, Rauschenberg created amazing sets and costumes for Cunningham dances for … And it was done not to the music but with the music of Christian Wolff. [10], Cunningham lived in New York City, and was Artistic Director of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. A leading soloist in Martha Graham’s company, he formed the Merce Cunningham Dance Company during a 1953 residency at Black Mountain College, in North Carolina. Walker Art Center Menu. Her emphasis on precise musical timing and rhythm provided him with a clear understanding of musicality that he implemented in his later dance pieces. His approach to performance was groundbreaking in its ideological simplicity and physical complexity: he applied the idea that “a thing is just that thing” to choreography, embracing the notion that "if the dancer dances, everything is there." Chance became an integral part of his work. Composite image of Merce Cunningham pieces: (interior) Merce Cunningham Dance Company performing Anniversary Event during the exhibition of Olafur Eliasson’s The Weather Project at Tate Modern in London, November 2003; a screen shot of Décor for Scramble (1967) on Event for Television, 1977. National Medal of Arts, Washington DC He was born in April of 1919 and passed away during the summer of 2009. [25] Besides, the plan outlined a final international tour for the Company, and, ultimately, the closure of the Cunningham Dance Foundation and Merce Cunningham Dance Company and the transfer of all assets to the Merce Cunningham Trust. Music: David Behrman, Long Throw and/or Annea Lockwood, Jitterbug Cunningham first experienced dance while living in Centralia. Reviewed by Rose Anne Thom. In 1964, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company embarked on a six-month world tour that catapulted the company to world fame and renown, while at the same time creating internal tensions. Merce Cunningham just loved dancing. Cunningham preferred the ambiguous nature of dance, which gave him an outlet for exploration of movement. Contact Us Have a question or request? Merce always believed that people who committed their lives to dancing did so because they loved it. All images courtesy of Beth Weinstein.] Known for his penchant for chance, he brought exciting new elements into contemporary choreography. Airs on American Masters, 9:00 p.m. Sunday, December 16, 2001, on PBS affiliates (check local listings). 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