Cunningham technique
Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) formed his company in 1953 at Black Mountain College and remained at the forefront of American modern dance for more than fifty years. He often collaborated with composer John Cage, made dances using chance procedures, and treated dance and music as independent elements that need not be coordinated.
His technique trains the spine and legs, used together or in opposition, alongside awareness of space through changes of direction and rhythmic precision. The company gave its last performance on 31 December 2011, as planned under the Legacy Plan. Today the Merce Cunningham Trust in New York licenses his works, offers classes in the technique and runs a teacher training programme.
Sources
- Merce Cunningham - Wikipedia
- Merce Cunningham Trust - Cunningham Technique
- Merce Cunningham Trust - History
- Merce Cunningham Trust - The Trust
Organisations connected with this dance
- Merce Cunningham Trust
- The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts (Jerome Robbins Dance Division)
Listed as references; being listed is not an endorsement by or of the organisation.