Merce Cunnigham, 1919 - 2009

The great American dancer and choreographer, Merce Cunningham, died earlier today.

Beginning in the 1940s, Merce transformed modern dance by viewing movement as just movement - something that could be seen on its own terms, rather than as an interpretation of music. This sounds nearly trivial now, but at the time it was revolutionary and for many people, very unwelcome. And Merce loved the impermanence of dance - when a dance was finished, there was nothing left.

In the 1970s I was friendly with several members of Merce's company. One of them told me that Merce never gave directions about facial expressions or hands. In fact, he was most concerned with the dancer arriving at the right spot at the right time. (He defined choreography as "how not to bump!") Merce  created steps and overall movements, but each dancer was charged with bringing that material alive in their own body.

My own dance teacher, Joan Skinner, was a member of Merce's first dance company. She tells of people throwing rotten fruit and other objects at the dancers, and of fights breaking out in the audience during performances. It's hard to imagine what would provoke such a response today.

Merce influenced my own interest in Buddhism. His request that we observe movement as having no meaning beyond itself emerged from his study of Buddhism and Taoism. This shaped the work of many of us who worked in performance art during the 1970s and 1980s.

You can read the New York Times obituary on Merce Cunningham here. May he rest in movement. May we all rest in movement.

Personal note: I look forward to resuming regular posting in the near future. Thanks to everyone for your support!

Comments

[Nathan]

Glad you're on the way back Barry!

Best,
Nathan

[Joseph]

My wife's hero was Pina Bausch. We just found out that she passed the day we left Korea... wow

[Barry Briggs]

Thanks, Nathan!

Thanks, Joseph. Pina Bausch - very different that Merce - also shaped how we view dance and movement. Very important.

I feel a close connection to Merce partly because I studied briefly with him but also because of his radical view of what counted as dance: every single movement (not different from the Buddha-dharma).

[jill irwin]

Barry, I'm continually surprised by learning about your diverse span of interests - climbing, performance art and dance, Renaissance painting...
thanks for the tribute to a your former teacher, however brief, and your wish that we all rest in movement. I have not done enough of that lately.
jill

[MyoChi]

What a timely post for me..:) I am doing something from which I am expecting some great result (I know, I know - not a buddhist attitude at all but ignorance has overtaken me..:-p). And every time, "the great result" is not happening, I am trying to remind myself the beauty of effort just for the sake of it, a part of suchness and its impermanence.

Such a nice perspective, view the movement of body as just that. Thanks for the post, Barry.

[Joseph Bengivenni]

you've definitely had some great teachers! ^_-

[Harry]

Hey, Barry.

You're very quiet. How's things?

Regards,

Harry.

[Barry Briggs]

Hi Harry,
Yes, it's been a very quiet and inwardly-focused time. However, beginning tomorrow, Ox Herding will return to life! I'm looking forward to it.

Thanks for your message,
Barry