Merce Cunningham photographed by Annie Leibovitz in 1997. Photo via: artsmeme.com
This summer may go down as the most morbid in recent history. Joining the list of arts celebrities who have passed away this month, choreographer Merce Cunningham died yesterday at the age of 90. The New York Times promises a full obituary shortly, but ArtsBeat already has provided a very thoughtful post on the artist. An excerpt below.
With his collaborator and life partner John Cage, Mr. Cunningham's most celebrated achievement was to have dance and music composed independent of each other. His choreography showed that dance was principally about itself, not music, while often suggesting that it could also be about many other things as well.
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RIP. So experimental and revolutionary that a whole genre of parody was created in his honor!
Any frat boy who ever put a pair of underoos or a lampshade on their head, flailed about and yelled “modern dance” was a fan of Merce Cunninghanm, even if he didn’t know the name.
Thanks for showing us the beauty of possibility!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXp7r96UTQ4
RIP. So experimental and revolutionary that a whole genre of parody was created in his honor!
Any frat boy who ever put a pair of underoos or a lampshade on their head, flailed about and yelled “modern dance” was a fan of Merce Cunninghanm, even if he didn’t know the name.
Thanks for showing us the beauty of possibility!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXp7r96UTQ4
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