Merce Cunningham

During the early 20th century, dance underwent a major revolution. Previously, dance, specifically ballet, was very rigid and structured. With the turn of the century though, many choreographers began experimenting with techniques and styles that transcended the traditional norms of dance at the time such as the legendary Merce Cunningham. Known for works such as Variations and Nearly Ninety, Merce Cunningham left his impact on the modern dance world with his use of chance operations, his collaboration with various artist and musicians, and later in his life, technology. An apprentice of Martha Graham, Merce went on to teach famous dancers, such as Paul Taylor, who would go on to leave their own footprint in the history of dance.

Born on April 16, 1919 in Centralia, Washington, Mercier Philip Cunningham was the second of three sons. His father, Clifford D. Cunningham, was an attorney in their small town and his mother, Mayme Joach Cunningham, an adventurous mother, who loved traveling the world, and Merce described to have, “an enormous energy and quite independent spirit (Merce Cunningham: A Lifetime of Dance).” At the beginning of his journey, Merce sparked his passion for dance under the study of Maude Barrett, a retired circus performer and vaudevillian (vaudeville was form of theatrical entertainment in the late 19th century and early 20th century, which utilizes pantomime, dance, dialog, and song, and is usually comical (Merriam-Webster)). Barrett was a fellow parishioner and neighbor of Cunningham’s, who ran the local Barrett School of Dance in Centralia. Here, he was paired up with Barrett’s daughter and learned the basics: tap dance. Eventually ballroom dancing would be added to his repertoire. Looking back in time, Merce would note that Barrett’s energy and passion shaped his outlook on dance stating, “It was a kind of theater energy and devotion