Choreographer Merce Cunningham dies
Merce Cunningham, a visionary American choreographer, died Sunday in New York. He was 90.
Following is a review that I wrote for this blog of a 2008 performance by his company. The review ran Nov. 19:
Last weekend, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company performed in the Cal Performances series at the University of California, Berkeley, leaving no doubt that Cunningham’s vision is as vital as ever. Each of the pieces - “Views on Stage,” “Crises” and “XOVER” - was stunningly arresting in its own way, with Cunningham’s mastery of pace and space coming across as the dance equivalent of abstract painting. In an era when, for too many people, ”Dancing with the Stars” passes for the latest in dance expression, Cunningham’s works were at once enigmatic and enthralling. The standing ovation that he received was well-deserved.
