TitleSix American Dance Pioneers: A Look Back, A Leap Forward: Merce Cunningham
Additional title: Merce CunninghamAdditional title: Dance at the Painted BrideAdditional title: Story (Choreographic work : Cunningham)Additional title: CRWDSPCR (Choreographic work : Cunningham)Additional title: Hand-drawn spaces (Choreographic work : Cunningham)Additional title: Biped (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
NamesEdsall, Mary E (Moderator)Cunningham, Merce (Speaker)Cunningham, Merce (Choreographer)Vaughan, David, 1924-2017 (Speaker)Painted Bride Art Center (Presenter)Merce Cunningham Dance Company (Dancer)
CollectionSusan Hess Modern Dance Lecture Series Video Archive
Dates / OriginDate Created: 2001-05-20
Table of ContentsReel 1. Introduction (2 min.) -- Merce Cunningham with dance films (beginning of talk) (57 min.) / speakers, Merce Cunningham and David Vaughn. |||| Reel 2. Merce Cunningham (conclusion of talk) (11 min.) -- Question Answer Session (35 min.) / moderator, Mary Edsall ; participant, Merce Cunningham.
Library locationsJerome Robbins Dance DivisionShelf locator: *MGZIDF 1479
TopicsCunningham, MerceAtlas, CharlesCage, JohnMerce Cunningham Dance CompanyStory (Choreographic work : Cunningham)CRWDSPCR (Choreographic work : Cunningham)Hand-drawn spaces (Choreographic work : Cunningham)Biped (Choreographic work : Cunningham)Summerspace (Choreographic work : Cunningham)ChoreographyModern dance -- United StatesDance -- History -- 20th centuryComputers -- Dance applications
GenresInterviewsFilmed danceFilmed performances
NotesContent: Title taken from opening speech, original cassette label, and other catalog records.Content: Reel 1 (59 min.) ; Reel 2 (46 min.).Content: Dance film excerpts interspersed during discussion include: Story, Hand Drawn Spaces, CRWDSPCR and Biped.Creation/production credits: Presented by Susan Hess Modern Dance.Venue: Videotaped during talk at Painted Bride Art Center, Philadelphia, Pa. 2001 May 20.Acquisition: Gift; Susan Hess; 2010.
Physical DescriptionVideocassetteExtent: 2 videocassettes (MiniDV) (105 min.) : sound, color ; 1/4 in.
DescriptionReel 1. David Vaughn (archivist, Merce Cunningham Dance Company) begins with talk of the four events that led to discoveries by Merce Cunningham which include Cunningham's work with John Cage, chance operations, video film work and Lifeforms dance computer program; Cunningham discusses the creation of his choreographic work, Story, after a film is shown; performing in India; improvisation; camera work of Charles Atlas and the differences between performances for camera and on stage including the relationship to perception, repetition, and speed; Cunningham's introduction and working with the computer software program, Lifeforms, which was created by Simon Fraser University; illustrating the use of Lifeforms by showing film of CRWDSPCR; the creation of movement/images for Biped using Lifeforms; showing a film of Hand Drawn Spaces, which has some of the work done for Biped; mentioning the Biped costumes by Susanne Gallo, lighting by Aaron Cop, and music by Gavin Byers. Reel 2. Showing the Biped video filmed in Canne, France by Charles Atlas; Question and Answer Session which includes questions about the reconstruction of Summer Space; Cunningham's basis for choreographic decisions and how he is precise but still has freedom regarding space, time and movement; the difference between the company's former and current dancers; and concludes with a childhood story of leaping over bushes with his brother Jack.
Type of ResourceMoving image
LanguagesEnglish
IdentifiersRLIN/OCLC: 895165071NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b20475695Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): b6694e60-6457-0132-cdc7-3c075448cc4b
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