Merce Cunningham Trust Announces Summer & Fall 2019 Programming For Global Centennial Celebration

Today the Merce Cunningham Trust announces Summer & Fall 2019 programming for the worldwide Merce Cunningham Centennial, which unites artists, companies, and cultural and educational institutions in a celebration of Cunningham's vital impact. Launched in the fall of 2018 and continuing throughout all of 2019, the Centennial honors Cunningham's legacy across continents and artistic disciplines. The diversity of activities and participating partners demonstrate the profound, enduring resonance of the choreographer's work and his approach to how the body moves in time and space.

The Centennial continues to highlight Cunningham's impact in the U.S. and abroad. The choreographer's approach to his work regarding dance as an independent human activity that need not tell a story or express emotion; proposing the separation of music and dance; employing chance operations to determine aspects of the choreography; leaving audiences free to have their own response to the work transformed the landscape of American performing arts. As the New York Times wrote in 1982, an openness to new possibilities has made Cunningham a liberating force not only for an entire generation of modern-dance choreographers since the 1960s but also for the dance world at large.

The resonance of Cunningham's work was first felt internationally in 1964, in his company's first tour (which included John Cage and Robert Rauschenberg). His innovative vision was so glowingly received in London that the company stayed and performed for an extra two-and-a-half weeks. In an article headlined U.S. Dancers Win Hearts in London; Merce Cunningham Conquers Conservatism, the New York Times wrote, Mr. Cunningham is an iconoclast and is welcome in an art that has always suffered from a surfeit of icons and a deficiency of iconoclasts The success of this tour was the beginning of Cunningham's deep influence in Europe, and led to consistent world tours during the company's nearly six-decade existence.

International Programming

Internationally, France and London were among the places where Cunningham and his company were most appreciated and the Centennial will see great celebration there in the fall.

When Cunningham and his company came to London during that first tour in 1964, Frederick Ashton saw the company perform dances including Nocturnes (1956) and Septet (1953), set to music by Eric Satie. Ashton later said of Cunningham's work, It was poetic and I like dances to be poetic. Style is one thing, but poetry is another. Inspired, Ashton himself would, one year after seeing the Cunningham dances, choreograph his own dances to Satie Monotones I & II. This fall, at the reopening of the Royal Opera's refurbished Linbury Theatre, The Royal Ballet will mark the Merce Cunningham centennial in a production of Cross Currents (1964) (which Cunningham's company also performed during that stop in London in 1964) (October 10 - 11). The evening will also include Ashton's Monotones II, as well as a new commission from Pam Tanowitz. Two weeks later, at the Linbury Theatre, Dance Umbrellawill present The Future Bursts In, in which CCN Ballet de Lorraine performs Sounddance (1975) and For Four Walls by Petter Jacobsson and Thomas Caley, a new reading of the original theater dance piece Four Walls by John Cage and Merce Cunningham (October 24 26). At Sadler's Wells, Rambert will present the Rambert Event, featuring extracts from the different Cunningham works that Rambert has had in its repertory over several decades, with music composed and performed live by Radiohead's Philip Selway, and design based on German contemporary artist Gerhard Richter Cage series, inspired in part by the works of John Cage (November 7 9).

Paris was the final stop of the Cunningham Company's 1972 tour, and was as important as the London performances of 1964. Michel Guy, who founded the first-ever Festival d'Automne that year, presented the Company at Paris's Th tre de la Ville. Guy became one of the most consistent champions of Cunningham's work in France along with Cunningham's long-time agent B n dicte Pesle. The following year, the Festival, along with the Paris International Dance Festival, commissioned a new work from the choreographer, Un jour ou deux, with a composition ( Etcetera, which required 20 musicians and three conductors) by Cage and d cor by Jasper Johns. This work was a bold step both for French dance indicating the beginnings of an embrace of Cunningham's innovations and for Cunningham, who created the piece at the Paris Opera Ballet. The work challenged the tenets of the Opera Ballet dancers' traditional training, and stood in contrast to the Palais Garnier, the venue in which it was created, which is itself exalted as a bastion of artistic tradition.

Cunningham would cultivate a close four-decade relationship with the Festival d'Automne, one of many hubs through which Cunningham's work became known around the world. Continuing this long-standing relationship, this year's Festival d'Automne will present a special Portrait of Merce Cunningham, that focuses on his work. Commencing on Sept. 28-29 at the Centre National de Danse (in Pantin) with La Fabrique - John Cage & Merce Cunningham, the celebration in Paris will continue through December. Throughout the fall, the Festival will feature: Weekend Cunningham at Espace Cardin, celebrating Cunningham in film and performance (October 5, 6); CCN - Ballet de Lorraine will perform Fabrications (1987), Sounddance (1975) with a score by David Tudor, and For Four Walls, by Petter Jacobsson and Thomas Caley (beginning October 12) as well as a presentation of RainForest(1968) also scored by Tudor and a set by Andy Warhol with Miguel Gutierrez's Cela nous concerne tous (November 28-30); a mixed bill featuring: the Royal Ballet (performing Cross Currents), the Paris Opera Ballet(performing Walkaround Time (1968)), and the Royal Ballet of Flanders (performing Pond Way (1998)) (October 22 26); the Lyon Opera Ballet performing Summerspace (1958), Exchange (1978), and Scenario (1997) (November 14 20), and a presentation of Winterbranch (1964) with Alexander Sciarroni's TURNING_motion sickness version (December 18-21); the Conservatoire National Sup rieur Musique et Danse (CNSMD)'sCunningham X 100 (November 30); and Rambert performing Rambert Event (December 4 7).

Activities in France begin earlier this summer at the Montpellier Danse Festival, which will take place from June 21 29. Its Cunningham celebrations begin with a DanceForms Workshop led by Trevor Carlson (June 21-23) and performances of his Not a moment too soon (June 25, 26). The Festival continues marking the Centennial with a Merce Cunningham Day of Activities and Performance (June 26) that features Ashley Chen's Chance, Space & Time and culminates in the Lyon Opera Ballet performing Summerspace (1958) and Exchange (1978). Closing out the Festival, the Stephen Petronio Company will perform Tread (1970) (June 28, 29).

Similarly, Compagnie CNDC-Angers/Robert Swinston continues its Fall season's revivals with multiple performances in France of BIPED (1999), noted for its use of motion capture technology that transposes Cunningham's choreography into a set design by Shelley Eshkar and Paul Kaiser; and Beach Birds (1991), with music by John Cage, and Marsha Skinner's costumes and lighting. In addition to being featured at Festival d'Automne and Montpellier Danse, Lyon Opera Ballet will perform Exchange and Scenario at the Lyon National Opera (November 1-3). Also continuing their tour throughout the summer and fall seasons, CCN - Ballet de Lorraine will also presentSounddance, RainForest and For Four Walls at multiple venues throughout France.

In Spain as well as throughout Latin America, Trevor Carlson will present a DanceForms workshop (in conjunction with REDIV Film Festivals), as well as further iterations of Not a moment too soon (salon version) in Bilbao (November 7) and Vila Franca (November 29).

In Germany, Ballett am Rhein will highlight works by four legends of American Modern Dance, performing Cunningham's Nordic terrain-evoking duet Night Wandering (1958), as well as dances by Mark Morris, Trisha Brown, and Paul Taylor (June 8-July 12) at Opernhaus D sseldorf). In Berlin, Dance On Ensemble will present Berlin Story, staged by Daniel Squire, and based on Cunningham's 1963 dance Story (August 23 - 25).

In Italy, Rambert will also present the Rambert Event at Teatro Municipale Valli, Reggio Emilia (November 13), and at the Sala Petrassi, Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome (November 17).

In Turkey, SALT will present a program of Cunningham's film and video works, including Antic Meet (1964), Variations V (1966), Assemblage (1968), Points in Space (1986) and Beach Birds for Camera (1993) (July 4 - August 4).

In Abu Dhabi, The Arts Center at NYU Abu Dhabi will present the Middle East Debut of two of Cunningham's masterpieces: BIPED, and How to Pass, Kick, Fall, & Run, performed by CNDC-Angers/Robert Swinston (October 30).

In Malawi, Kyle Gerry recently presented Cunningham's solo from Second Hand (1970) on a program with works by other American choreographers at the Madsoc Theatre in Lilongwe (June 15 & 16). This performance took place as part of a week of workshops and classes that he and Caitlin Scranton taught to local actors and dancers, as well as students at primary and secondary schools, that focus on Cunningham's technique and ideas.

New York & USA Programming

Merce Cunningham's technique and ideas stretched from coast to coast in the U.S. across the second part of the 20th century and into the 21st. From exploring his creativity with colleagues such as John Cage at Black Mountain College in North Carolina, to a decades-long deep relationship with the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, to housing his company and school in New York City where he taught generations of dancers and choreographers, to regular visits to perform on the West Coast, Cunningham built communities and followers who were fiercely loyal and supportive. In its Summer & Fall 2019 seasons, the Centennial continues to honor Cunningham's national artistic legacy, featuring multifaceted programs in both Cunningham's home base of New York and across the U.S.

In New York, the Dance on Camera festival will offer a special one-night screening of never before seen personal footage from Cunningham collaborator Charles Atlas at Lincoln Center on July 13. SummerStage will host Merce Cunningham: SummerCool, an evening of performances (July 17) guest curated by the 92nd Street Y's Catherine Tharin, featuring the Stephen Petronio Company, Melissa Toogood, Calvin Royal III, and the A-Y/dancers. If the Dancer Dances, a film featuring the Stephen Petronio Company and former members of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company by Lise Friedman and Maia Wechsler, that is the first documentary on the subject of Cunningham's work since his passing, will screen in several locations throughout the U.S. this year, as well as at the Montpellier Danse Festival. The New York Times praised the film for giving viewers without the faintest grasp of dance technique a strong sense of what made Cunningham's work groundbreaking, The Stephen Petronio Company will continue its series of presentations of Tread (1970) and Signals (1970) at various locations, including American Dance Festival, Hudson Hall, Hudson, NY and at the Montpellier Danse Festival in France. Also at Hudson Hall, Merce Cunningham: Passing Time, a collection of Stephanie Berger and James Klosty's photographs documenting Cunningham's early and final years will take place from June 22 August 4.

Massachusetts dance center Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival will team with Compagnie CNDC-Angers/Robert Swinston to present a program of dance and archival film reflecting on Cunningham's engagements with Jacob's Pillow (July 3 7). The festival will also include Merce Cunningham: Loops, an abstract virtual reality portrait of Cunningham, created by digital artists Paul Kaiser and Marc Downie (June 19 - August 25). CNDC will also performBeach Birds and BIPED at The Kennedy Center in Washington, as part of their Merce Cunningham at 100 program (October 3-5), at the Mondavi Center at UC Davis (November 13), and at The Newmark Theatre in Portland (November 21-23). In Texas, Contemporary Dance/Fort Worth presents the 16th Annual Modern Dance Festival at The Modern: Celebrating the Merce Cunningham Centennial, July 12-27. At the American Dance Festival, Andrea Weber will stage How to Pass, Kick, Fall, and Run (for the ADF students with performances July 19 & 20). In Orange County, Calif., creative youth development nonprofit The Wooden Floor will collaborate withRashaun Mitchell + Silas Riener for the 2019 Co-Creation Lab*, which includes a 3-week residency in July, for teens from underserved communities, and the creation of a piece for public performances (July 18-20). Audiences in Washington, D.C. will have the opportunity to enjoy Night Wandering (1958), an even earlier Cunningham work, Totem Ancestor (1942), and the solos from Second Hand (1970), presented by Dance Place. These will beperformed by John Scott Dance, alongside choreography by Scott on July 27 and 28. In San Francisco, Hope Mohr Dance, in conjunction with SFMoMA's Open Space, presents Signals from the West: Bay Area Artists in Conversation with Merce Cunningham at 100 (August 10 11, November 8 9). In Los Angeles, the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance will present: a MinEvent staged by Silas Riener on November 1, 2019. The Centennial will be celebrated in northeast Ohio through a series of classes, learning labs and events presented by The National Center for Choreography at The University of Akron and DANCECleveland. These include a screening of If the Dancer Dances at the Cleveland Art Museum (August 4); a panel, solos performances, and Malpaso Dance Company's performance of Fielding Sixes (1980) at the Akron Museum of Art (August 6) and the Cleveland Art Museum (August 7).

Cunningham Centennial Solos - Solos from Night of 100 Solos: A Centennial Event

The multi-city Night of 100 Solos: A Centennial Event, performed on April 16, 2019 at the Barbican, London, the Brooklyn Academy Of Music, and UCLA's Center for the Art of Performance on what would have been Merce Cunningham's 100th birthday, was the largest Cunningham Event ever staged. The Event brought on nearly half of Cunningham's former dancers to participate in coaching and staging, and featured 75 dancers from a wide range of practices and companies around the world spread across the Event's three venues, performing a unique selection of 100 Cunningham solos in each. Demonstrating a core tenet of the Trust's mission passing Cunningham's singular vision to future generations participating dancers (many of whom came to Night of 100 Solos without previous experience with Cunningham) were all given a 2-year license to perform their respective solos. Among them, some will present these solos around the world this fall. For example, in Melbourne, Christian Allen, Aaron Burr Johnson, and Lindsey Jones will perform solos as part of Kimberly Bartosik/daela's presentation at Supersense (August 23 - 24) and in London, Siobhan Davies and Elly Braund will perform solos as part of Richard Alston Dance Company's Alston at Home season (November 27 - 30).

Major funding for the Centennial celebration is provided by the Merce Cunningham Trust, the Paul L. Wattis Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the American Express Foundation, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation and Judith Pisar. Additional funding is provided by Judith R. and Alan H. Fishman, and Molly Davies.

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is the major supporter of the Centennial Community Programming.

The Merce Cunningham Trust strives to maintain Cunningham's legacy through active engagement with current and new generations of dancers and audiences. Paramount in its efforts is the goal of ensuring that the proper resources exist for Cunningham's work to flourish with these groups. Recognizing the unique nature of dance, including its ephemerality, the Trust focuses on how Cunningham's choreographic output can be transmitted from body to body, in addition to preserving and disseminating records and written aspects of the work. The Centennial exemplifies the Trust's aims for the future: harnessing Cunningham's work, practice, ideas, and spirit in its perpetuation of his impact.

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