Merce Cunningham (far right) rehearses with his dance group. September 1, 1957. Photo Charles Rotkin.
Merce Cunningham died last Sunday at the age of 90. The following is an excerpt from an interview with npr's Renee Montagne:
INSKEEP: Merce Cunningham began his career in the 1930s dancing with Martha Graham's company. Before long, he broke away to create his own dance company and a new kind of dance with his personal and professional partner, composer John Cage. The two experimented with the art form, even letting chance dictate the dancer's steps.
Mr. CUNNINGHAM: Well, if you had three movements, a run, a jump, and a fall, you would think, well, you run, you jump up, and then you fall. But what if you toss a coin and it comes up you have to do the fall first and then the jump, and then the run? It breaks down what anybody has, and dancers in particular have muscular memories of how things should go. But instead of saying that's impossible, you try it out.
RENEE MONTAGNE: Well, I'm going to quote you something that you've said that I hope is an accurate quote, but here it goes. I think of dance as being movement, any kind of movement.
Mr. CUNNINGHAM: Yes.
MONTAGNE: And that it is as accurate and impermanent as breathing.
Mr. CUNNINGHAM: Yes, I think it is.
MONTAGNE: So does that mean that you will be dancing, in effect, right to that last breath?
Mr. CUNNINGHAM: Well, probably.
MONTAGNE: As long as you live, you'll be dancing.
Mr. CUNNINGHAM: Yes, or I - or I can call it dancing, even if nobody else does.
WERTHEIMER: Merce Cunningham, a dancer to his last breath.
Mr. CUNNINGHAM: And go, and one.
You may listen to the interview on npr's website. Video's of Cunningham may be found here. Merce Cunningham's approach to choreography has had a huge effect on hMa's approach to architecture. More information can be found on hMa's blog entitled A Practice in the Arts.



