Merce Cunningham (born April 16, 1919 in Centralia, Washington, United States) is an American dancer and choreographer. April 16 is the 106th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (107th in leap years). ... 1919 (MCMXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Centralia is a city in Lewis County, Washington, United States. ... Dance (from Old French dancier, perhaps from Frankish) generally refers to human movement either used as a form of expression or presented in a social, spiritual or performance setting. ... Choreography (literally dance-writing, also known as dance composition), is the art of making structures in which movement occurs, the term composition may also refer to the navigation or connection of these movement structures. ...

A long-term collaborator with and romantic partner of composer John Cage, Cunningham is commonly recognized as one of the most innovative and influential figures in modern dance. Cunningham's dances emphasise strength and agility, and his choreography notoriously demands of his dancers difficult, nearly impossible physical feats of athleticism. John Cage For the character of John Cage from the TV show Ally McBeal see: John Cage (Character) John Milton Cage (September 5, 1912 – August 12, 1992) was an American experimental music composer, writer and visual artist. ... picture of Isadora Duncan - Source: Library of Congress Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. ...

Biography

He studied tap dance in his youth, but Cunningham received his first formal dance and theatre training at the Cornish College of the Arts where he met John Cage, who was a piano accompanist for dance classes. Later he moved to New York and studied at the American School of Ballet. From 1939 to 1945 he was a soloist in Martha Graham's dance company, choreographing Paul Bowles' light opera The Wind Remains in 1943. He presented his first New York solo concert with John Cage in April 1944 and founded the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in the summer of 1953 with its first performances at Black Mountain College. Tap dance was born in the United States during the 19th century, and today is popular all around the world. ... Cornish College of the Arts is a fully accredited institution in Seattle, Washington that offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance, Theater, Performance Production, Design, and Fine Art, as well as the Bachelor of Music degree. ... A grand piano, with the lid up. ... 1939 (MCMXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1945 (MCMVL) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1945 calendar). ... Martha Graham and Bertram Ross in Visionary Recital, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1961 Martha Graham (May 11, 1894 – April 1, 1991), an American dancer and choreographer, is known as one of the foremost pioneers of modern dance. ... Paul Frederic Bowles (December 30, 1910 - November 18, 1999), was an American composer, author, and traveler. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1944 calendar). ... 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... This article is in need of attention. ...

Inspired by Albert Einstein's words "there are no fixed points in space," Cunningham developed a method of creating known as "Chance Operations," which he refined in close collaboration with Cage, his life partner. Influenced by Zen and Dadaism, Cunningham would create a number of dance phrases and use methods such as dice, cards, or coins to determine order, number of repetitions, direction and spatial relation. Oftentimes he would also invite a musician to create a score and an artist to create a visual environment while he created the movement. Each would work separately and would unite the elements for the first time on stage before an audience. Although considered an abrogation of artistic responsibility by some, Cunningham was thrilled by a process that arrives at works that could never have been created through traditional collaboration. This does not mean, however, that Cunningham holds every piece created in this fashion is a masterpiece. Those dances that do not "work" are quickly dropped from repertory, while those that do are celebrated as serendipitous discoveries. In this fashion chance operations are similar to improvisation, used as a tool of creation by many artists. Einstein redirects here. ... Zen is a form of Mahayana Buddhism that places great importance on moment-by-moment awareness and seeing deeply into the nature of things by direct experience. ... Cover of the first edition of the publication, Dada. ... Philosophically, improvisation often focuses on bringing ones personal awareness into the moment, and on developing a profound understanding for the action one is doing. ...

Another of Cunningham's innovations was the develpoment of what might be called "non-representative" dance which simply emphasizes movement: in Cunninghamn's choreography, dancers do not neccessarily represent any historical figure, emotional situation, or idea.

Although well into his eighties and no longer able to dance, Cunningham continues to choreograph with the aid of computer software, working with musical groups including Sigur Rós and Radiohead to create soundtracks for his projects. Sigur Rós ( ) are an Icelandic post-rock band with melodic, classical and minimalist elements. ... Radiohead are an English rock band from Oxfordshire. ...

Cunningham was on the development team for the dance software originally called Lifeforms, now called Danceforms; the software allows the user to choreograph on a computer.

See also

• Modern dance
• Postmodern dance
• 20th century concert dance
• List of dance companies
• Happening

picture of Isadora Duncan - Source: Library of Congress Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. ... Postmodern dance is a 20th century concert dance form. ... 20th century concert dance is the name given to a category of dance forms that include: Free dance Modern dance Expressionist dance Postmodern dance Dance improvisation Contemporary dance Dance theatre Dance technology Dance for camera Although technically 20th century concert dance, the following dance forms are considered under the separate... A Alameda Civic Ballet Alberta Ballet Company Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater American Ballet Theatre Australian Ballet Company B Ballet Nacional de Cuba Balleteatro Nacional de Puerto Rico Ballet San Jose Silicon Valley Ballet company Ballets Russes Birmingham Royal Ballet Bolshoi Theatre Boston Ballet C Merce Cunningham Dance Company D... A happening is a performance, event or situation meant to be considered as art. ...

Further reading

• Bremser, M. (Ed) (1999) Fifty Contemporary Choreographers. Routledge. ISBN 0-415-10364-9
• Cunningham, M. and Lesschaeve, J. (1992) The Dancer and the Dance. Marion Boyars Publishers. ISBN 0-7145-2931-1
• Vaughn, David (1999) Merce Cunningham: Fifty Years. Aperture. ISBN 0-89381-863-1
• Kostelanetz, R. (1998) Merce Cunningham: Dancing in Space and Time. Da Capo Press. ISBN 0-306-80877-3

External links

• Merce Cunningham Dance Company
• PBS:American Masters biography
• KQED:Spark
• Kennedy Center biography
• American Ballet Theater biography
• Merce Cunningham at the Internet Movie Database
• View a documentary segment on Merce Cunningham at KQED's Spark