Merce Cunningham American dancer, choreographer Date of Birth: 16.04.1919 Country: USA

1. American Dancer and Choreographer - Merce Cunningham
2. Early Life and Education
3. Establishing His Own Dance Company
4. Collaborations and Artistic Space

American Dancer and Choreographer - Merce Cunningham

Merce Cunningham was an American dancer and choreographer who emerged as a leader in avant-garde art in the 1950s. He pioneered the concept of "objective dance," which focused on pure movement for movement's sake. His works did not rely on dramatic plots, literary allusions, social themes, or emotional subtext. According to Cunningham, the meaning and essence of dance lie in experimenting with different possibilities of movement in time and space.

Early Life and Education

Cunningham was born on April 16, 1919, in Centralia, Washington. As a young boy, he studied tap dance, folk dance, and ballroom dance. He later attended George Washington University and the School of Arts in Seattle. In 1939, while studying "modern" dance at the Bennington School of Dance in Vermont, he was invited to join Martha Graham's dance company. From 1940 to 1945, Cunningham worked in Graham's company, studied classical dance at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet, and began performing his own choreography in collaboration with pianist and composer John Cage.

Establishing His Own Dance Company

From 1947 to 1953, Cunningham worked at Black Mountain College in North Carolina. In 1952, he founded his own dance company, for which he subsequently created around 100 choreographic works. Similar to Cage's music, Cunningham's choreography seemed disconnected and lacked a cohesive narrative. It was characterized by sudden bursts of movement and abrupt stops, just as Cage's music had moments of sound and silence. However, Cunningham's choreography did not follow the music. In his works, dancers often continued moving without stopping or changing the rhythm, even when the music had already stopped. Conversely, dancers sometimes froze in stillness while the music played. Cunningham also utilized other contrasts, such as contrasting a solitary, motionless or slowly rotating dancer with a group of dancers moving with fervent intensity. Within the group, dancers would simultaneously perform different movements.

Collaborations and Artistic Space

Cunningham collaborated closely with various artists and musicians to create a unique artistic space where dance, color, design, and sound coexisted. For example, the mood of the performance "Rainforest" was shaped by David Tudor's electronic music and Andy Warhol's silver, glowing, translucent pillows that floated above the stage in a hypnotic dreamlike manner. In the piece "Tread," a row of large fans facing the audience was installed on a ramp, creating a strong wind that seemed to separate the audience from the dancers. This was a project by Bruce Nauman and was accompanied by Christian Wolff's electronic music. Many of Cunningham's works featured set designs and costumes by renowned artists such as Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns, and Frank Stella. Cunninghum's works also displayed a sense of wit, as seen in the performance "How to Pass, Kick, Run, and Fall," where two champagne-drinking commentators provided commentary throughout the piece. John Cage often performed one of the commentators.

Merce Cunningham continued to create groundbreaking choreography and collaborate with various artists until his death in 2009. His legacy remains influential in the world of contemporary dance and avant-garde art.