Merce Cunningham

Date of Birth: April 16, 1919

Zodiac Sign: Aries

Date of Death: July 26, 2009

Biography

Merce Cunningham was an American dancer and choreographer, widely considered one of the most influential figures in modern dance. Born in Centralia, Washington, he began his professional dance career at the age of 20 with the Martha Graham Dance Company. In 1953, he formed the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, which became a leading force in contemporary dance. Over his seven-decade career, Cunningham collaborated with a wide array of artists including John Cage, his life partner, and other luminaries like Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol. Known for his innovative techniques, Cunningham revolutionized dance by introducing chance operations and redefining the relationship between dance and music. He continued to choreograph and teach until his death in 2009.

5 Interesting Facts about Merce Cunningham

1. Merce Cunningham collaborated with avant-garde composer John Cage both professionally and personally; they were partners for over fifty years.

2. He introduced the use of computer software in choreography with the program LifeForms, later known as DanceForms.

3. Cunningham often used “chance operations” to create his dances, allowing elements like the order of movements and the music to be determined randomly.

4. The Merce Cunningham Dance Company was known for its “Events,” a type of performance where excerpts from different works were combined and performed in non-traditional venues.

5. In 2009, Cunningham established the Legacy Plan to ensure his work would continue to be performed and taught after his death.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Merce Cunningham

1. “The only way to do it is to do it.”

2. “You have to love dancing to stick to it. It gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive.”

3. “Falling is one of the ways of moving.”

4. “Dance gives you nothing back, no manuscripts to store away, no paintings to show on walls and maybe hang in museums, no poems to be printed and sold, nothing but that single fleeting moment when you feel alive.”

5. “I don’t work through images or ideas. I work through the body.”