Merce Cunningham

@Choreographers, Timeline and Facts ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Merce Cunningham was an American dancer and teacher, most remembered as an innovative and influential choreographer American George Washington University Dancers Contemporary Dancers Choreographers Aries Celebrities Merce Cunningham was an American modern dancer and teacher, most remembered as an innovative and influential choreographer. While receiving his formal dance and theatre training, he was spotted by the great dancer, Martha Graham, who offered him a chance to work in her company. While working with the Graham’s Company, he also began independent work in collaboration with composer John Cage, at first in solo concerts. Later, he established his own dance company and went on to become an enchanting choreographer. Through his creative and expressive movements, he garnered wide acclaim for his dance style. His personal dance style, reflected in his choreography, was usually athletic in forcefulness. His dance style relied solely upon pure body movement to produce effects and reach his audience. He frequently collaborated with visual artists, architects, designers, and musicians in his company to enhance his performances. His music collaborator and life partner, John Cage, had the greatest influence on his practice. The duo made an extensive use of chance procedures and developed new forms of abstract dance movement. Later in life, he turned towards special animated computer programs to explore new choreographic possibilities. He was a brilliant dancer, an influential teacher, and an organizer of an internationally acclaimed avant-garde dance company but above all, an imaginative and charismatic choreographer.

Personal Details

Birthday: April 16, 1919 Died on: July 26, 2009 Nationality: American Famous: Choreographers, Dancers, George Washington University, Dancers, Contemporary Dancers, Choreographers Universities: George Washington University Notable Alumnis: George Washington University Birth Place: Centralia, Washington Information Detail Birthday April 16, 1919 Died on July 26, 2009 Nationality American Famous Choreographers, Dancers, George Washington University, Dancers, Contemporary Dancers, Choreographers Universities George Washington University Notable Alumnis George Washington University Birth Place Centralia, Washington Gender Male Father Clifford D. Cunningham Mother Mayme Cunningham Sun Sign Aries Born in Centralia, Washington Famous as Dancer and Choreographer Died at Age 90

Centralia, Washington

Merce Cunningham born at Unsplash Birth Place

While working at the firm of Martha Graham, he met composer John Cage, who later became his life partner and frequent collaborator. Unsplash Personal Life

On July 26, 2009, he died peacefully at the age of 90, in his home in New York City. Unsplash Personal Life

He was born on April 16, 1919 in Centralia, Washington to Clifford D. Cunningham, a law professional, and his wife, Mayme Cunningham. He was the second of their three sons. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

After completing high school, he enrolled at the George Washington University which he left after a year. In 1937, he joined the Cornish School of Fine Arts in Seattle which he attended for two years. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

While pursuing his formal dance and theatre training, he also attended the Mills College and learnt from Lester Horton, a famous dancer and choreographer. He was subsequently spotted and invited by Martha Graham—a renowned dancer—to join her company. He accepted the offer and went to New York to work for her. Unsplash Childhood & Early Life

In 1939, he began his career as a soloist in the company of Martha Graham. He spent several years with the group and performed as the central character in various productions including ‘El Penitente’ (1939) and ‘Appalachian Spring’ (1944). Unsplash Career

Alongside, he also started working as a choreographer and produced some of his early works such as ‘Root of an Unfocus’ (1944) and ‘Mysterious Adventure’ (1945). Unsplash Career

In 1945, he left the company and began his solo career as a choreographer in collaboration with other artists including John Cage. The duo collaborated on a number of works such as ‘The Seasons’ (1947) and ‘Inlets’ (1978). Unsplash Career

Gradually he developed his own style of choreography known as “choreography by chance,” a technique in which selected isolated movements are assigned in a sequential manner by random methods such as ‘tossing a coin’. Unsplash Career

In 1953, while serving as a professor at the Black Mountain College, he established the ‘Merce Cunningham Dance Company (MCDC)’. It included dancers such as Carolyn Brown, Viola Farber, Paul Taylor, and Remy Charlip along with musicians including John Cage and David Tudor. Unsplash Career

In 1954 and 1959, he received Fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, New York. Unsplash Awards & Achievements

In 1966, he was presented a ‘Gold Medal for Choreographic Invention’ at the Fourth International Festival of Dance, Paris. Unsplash Awards & Achievements

In 1972, he received the ‘Belgrade International Theatre Festival Award’ in one of the most significant cultural festivals of Serbia. Unsplash Awards & Achievements

In 1985, he was awarded the Kennedy Center Honors and a MacArthur Fellowship. Unsplash Awards & Achievements

In 1993, he was inducted into the ‘National Museum of Dance's Mr. & Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney Hall of Fame’ in Saratoga Springs, NY. Unsplash Awards & Achievements

Information	Detail
Birthday	April 16, 1919
Died on	July 26, 2009
Nationality	American
Famous	Choreographers, Dancers, George Washington University, Dancers, Contemporary Dancers, Choreographers
Universities	George Washington University
Notable Alumnis	George Washington University
Birth Place	Centralia, Washington
Gender	Male
Father	Clifford D. Cunningham
Mother	Mayme Cunningham
Sun Sign	Aries
Born in	Centralia, Washington
Famous as	Dancer and Choreographer
Died at Age	90

Merce Cunningham

American

Apr 16, 1919

Biography

Personal Details

Centralia, Washington