There is not a jazz or modern dancer in the world who has not heard his name. There is not a living soul that has not been affected by his brilliant approach towards art. If you had not come across such great an artist as Merce Cunningham you must have been dead for at least 50 years!
Merce Cunningham was born on April 16, 1919 and died on July 26, 2009. He was an American dancer and choreographer who was the pioneer of the American avant garde in performing arts. Throughout much of his life, Cunningham was considered one of the greatest creative forces in American dance, eliminating the stereotypes and limitations of the conservative old-school.
From the very beginning of his dancing career, Cunningham collaborated with John Cage, its Musical Advisor and openly a partner from the 1940s until Cage’s death in 1992. Cage had the greatest influence on his practice as he composed most of the soundtracks of Cunningham's works. Together, Cunningham and Cage proposed a number of radical innovations, namely eliminating the barrier between dance and music, which they believed coexist in the same time and space, but should be created independently of one another.
Last choreographies:
XOVER (2007)
Music: John Cage, Aria (1958) and Fontana Mix (1958)
Décor & Costumes: Robert Rauschenberg, Plank
Lighting: Josh Johnson
Nearly Ninety (2009)
Music: John Paul Jones, Takehisa Kosugi, Sonic Youth
Décor: Benedetta Tagliabue
Costumes: Romeo Gigli for io ipse idem
Lighting: Brian MacDevitt
Video Design: Franc Aleu
A link to the article concerning his death last year:
Chance Conversations: An Interview with Merce Cunningham and John Cage:
Merce Cunningham Dance Company
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Ev9uKlKNM&feature=related
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