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Merce Cunningham Turns 90…
…to a Sonic Youth/Led Zeppelin soundtrack
Merce Cunningham (Photo: Mark Seliger)
One of the striking attributes of modern dancers and choreographers is their endurance. They never seem to tire. Not when they’re twelve, not when they’re thirty, sixty, or ninety. At an age when people in most professions have long since retired, Merce Cunningham, choreographer and modern dance legend, is still going strong. On his ninetieth birthday, April 16th, the Brooklyn Academy of Music will present the world premiere of his newest evening-length work.
Known for his collaborations with avant-garde artists such as Robert Rauschenberg and John Cage, and for having introduced the idea of chance as a valid source of artistry, Cunningham is again collaborating with renowned artists from the forefront of various fields.
The soundscape for Cunningham’s newest work comes from the iconic underground rock band Sonic Youth, John Paul Jones (former Led Zeppelin bassist), and Takehisa Kosugi, the Japanese experimental composer and violinist who serves as Cunningham’s music director. The landscape comes from Italian architect Benedetta Tagliabue and costumes from her compatriot, the designer Romeo Gigli.
Although this may seem like a volatile mix of artistic blood, that is exactly what feeds Cunningham’s work.
Runs through April 19th.