Research Catalog

Title

Interview with Chris Komar [sound recording]

Author

Komar, Chris.

Publication

1993-1994.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Kraft, Susan, 1961-

Description

5 sound cassettes (350 min.) +

Summary

• Cassette 1. Recorded November 15, 1993. Mr. Komar discusses his role first as Assistant to the Choreographer and later as Assistant Artistic Director of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company; experiences in setting Cunningham's work on other dance companies including Ballet Rambert; the difficulties that ballet companies have with Cunningham's technique and choreography; the Boston Ballet's commission of Breakers; the Cunningham Foundation's Repertory Understudy Group; the qualities necessary for dancing Cunningham's work; issues relating to rhythm and accompaniment; teaching Signals to the White Oak Dance Project; the relationship of dance and music; Komar's creation of Inlets 3; Cunningham's Inlets 2; Cunningham's notation system; Komar's notation of Cunningham's technique classes; his process of teaching repertory; the use of music in rehearsal and in the creative process of Cunningham and composer John Cage.
• Cassette 2. Recorded November 17, 1993. Mr. Komar discusses his early life; studying music; his family; his period at the University of Wisconsin and as a founding member of the Milwaukee Ballet Company; moving to New York; taking class at the Cunningham studio; joining the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. He describes classes; Cunningham's approach to rhythm; the first piece he performed with the company entitled Landrover; the music of David Tudor; reads Merce Cunningham's definition of Events; describes the preparation and creation of Events; the relationship of Cunningham's choreography to quantum theory and the writings of Buckminster Fuller; Stephen Hawking and Jacob Bronowski; Torse.
• Cassette 3, side A only. Continuation of discussion on Cassette 2. Brief discussion of the principles of chance; the compact disc entitled The John Cage tribute.
• Cassette 4. Recorded November 24, 1993. Mr. Komar discusses the revival of Cunningham's Sounddance; the 1970s; the importance of taking ballet class; balance; chance; the unpredictable nature of Cunningham's work; the relationship of Cunningham's work to ideas and life outside the dance world; political issues; Ocean (a work in progress at the time of the interview); the contribution of John Cage to the company; the changing structure of the company; choreographic structure; partnering; Inlets 3, which Komar created on the Repertory Understudy Group using a chance-based restructuring of Cunningham's Inlets and Inlets 2; Cunningham's investigations of time, space and weight changes.
• Cassette 5. Recorded July 18, 1994. Mr. Komar discusses the unique properties of film and video as opposed to live performance; Westbeth; differences and difficulties in designing primarily for the camera or the stage and then switching; Points in space; Channels/Inserts; Fractions; Cunningham's fascination with the filming process; Torse; Beach birds, for camera; the effect of television and video on culture and dancing; Komar's cable television program, Rhythms in space; coaching Cunningham dancers for videotape.

Alternative Title

• Dance Oral History Project.
• Dance Audio Archive.

Subjects

• Videodance
• Cunningham, Merce
• Milwaukee Ballet Company
• Channels/Inserts (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Bronowski, Jacob, 1908-1974
• Quantum theory
• White Oak Dance Project
• Beach birds (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Repertory Understudy Group
• Merce Cunningham Dance Company
• Merce Cunningham Studio (New York, N.Y.)
• Points in space (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Inlets 3 (Choreographic work : Komar)
• Fractions (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Ocean (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Inlets (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Signals (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Westbeth (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Torse (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Sounddance (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Hawking, Stephen, 1942-2018
• Landrover (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Cage, John
• Tudor, David, 1926-1996
• Aleatory music in dance
• Inlets 2 (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Breakers (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
• Modern dance > Technique > Cunningham

Note

• Interviewed by Susan Kraft at the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
• For transcript see: *MGZMT 3-1823.

Access (note)

• Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Call Number

*MGZTC 3-1823 [sound cassette]

OCLC

NYPY94-R0

Author

Komar, Chris. Interviewee

Title

Interview with Chris Komar [sound recording]

Imprint

1993-1994.

Restricted Access

Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Connect to:

Request Access to Special Collections (Dance Division) material

Local Subject

Aleatory music in dance.

Added Author

Kraft, Susan, 1961- Interviewer

Research Call Number

*MGZTC 3-1823 [sound cassette]

*MGZMT 3-1823 [transcript]