Research Catalog

Merce Cunningham speaks at Barnard College

Title: Merce Cunningham speaks at Barnard College, 1988-02-17.
Author: Cunningham, Merce
Publication: February 17, 1988.

Available Online

NYPL Digital Collections

Details

Additional Authors

Found In

Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.

Description

2 streaming audio files (64 minutes total) : digital, stereo

Summary

Streaming file 1, side 1: Begins abruptly, Sandra Genter introduces the evening's event featuring Merce Cunningham, ca. 0:00-1:56; [ca. 0:36-1:00, recording gap while Elliot Caplan and Merce Cunningham's film, Points in space (1986) is screened]; Cunningham speaks about the making of Points in space with Elliot Caplan in London at the BBC studio, including his consideration of the camera movements while choreographing the work; referring to earlier collaborations with Charles Atlas, he speaks about learning about how filming dance differs from dance on stage; he remarks on how exhaustive it is for the dancers [in his Merce Cunningham Dance Company] while filming dance and the difficulty of re-shooting sequences; difficult multiple takes in the filming of Coast zone (1983); the origins of his interest in filming dance and an overview of his projects with Atlas and Caplan; he describes filming and design details for Points in space; the difficulty of lighting dance for filming; more about how he considers the camera while choreographing and then how the introduction of the actual camera further impacts his choreographic choices; briefly, his process in adapting a filmed work for the stage; his interest in video as a medium; [inaudible question from an audience member, ca. 21:20-21:30]; Cunningham speaks about the music for Points in space, John Cage's Voiceless essay; in response to audience question, he tells an anecdote about an English translation of the I Ching [Yi jing; ancient Chinese divination text]; he speaks about Cage's, and his own, use of the I Ching in composition; more about his use of chance operations and timing as a choreographic method; [inaudible question from an audience member, ca. 30:38-31:17]; Cunningham describes his thinking about the mechanics of human movement and how he applies this thinking process to his choreography; he gives an overview of his choreographic process, including his use of chance and timing; the challenge of creating physical continuity between the chance ordered movement phrases and how this process leads to discovery in movement possibilities; [inaudible question from an audience member, ca. 41:50-42:06]; Cunningham speaks about the working process of teaching and rehearsing movement with his dancers; briefly, the process of "transferring" movement to his dancers for Torse (1976); ends abruptly.
Streaming file 2, side 2: Begins abruptly, Merce Cunningham gives several examples of how using chance operations to order movements leads to choreographic discovery and complexity, especially in Torse; he speaks about how Albert Einstein's idea of "no fixed points in space" influenced his own treatment of the space on stage; [question from an audience member about Cunningham's consideration of the audience, ca. 6:24-6:37]; Cunningham speaks about touring his work as outreach to new audiences; a brief anecdote about teaching at Black Mountain College; the circumstances that led to his first Event [during the 1964 world tour]; briefly, how Events allow his Company to perform in unique spaces for new audiences; [inaudible question from an audience member, ca. 11:57-12:13]; Cunningham briefly speaks about Robert Rauschenberg as a collaborator; aspects of Rauschenberg's production design for Story (1963); an anecdote about a recent performance in Delhi and a stagehand's memory of the Rauschenberg set from Story; the indeterminate choreographic structure of Story; how the physical exhaustion of touring made the performing of Story very difficult for his dancers; an anecdote about an accident during a performance of Winterbranch (1964) due to lighting; briefly, Jasper Johns as a collaborator and tells an anecdote about a set of costumes that Johns had dyed; briefly, the origin of Andy Warhol's pillows [in RainForest (1968)]; ends abruptly.

Alternative Title

Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection. Audio materials.

Subjects

Genre/Form

Speeches.

Note

Contains Merce Cunningham's speech at Barnard College as part of the Cynthia Sue Green Visiting Artist's Series; following a screening of Elliot Caplan and Merce Cunningham's Points in space (1986).
Title, date, and location provided by cataloger based on handwritten note on original container and cassette, and audition.
Handwritten note on original container and cassette: "Merce Cunningham at Barnard College ; 2/17/88 ; mono".
Sound quality is mostly good to fair; there is a recording hiss throughout and the recording volume is low at times.

Access (note)

Patrons can access streaming audio only on site at NYPL Research Libraries.

Source (note)

Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation

Linking Entry (note)

Forms part of the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.

Call Number

*LTC-A 1659

OCLC

933582899

Author

Cunningham, Merce, speaker.

Title

Merce Cunningham speaks at Barnard College, 1988-02-17.

Production

February 17, 1988.

Playing Time

004509 001837

Type of Content

spoken word

Type of Medium

audio

Type of Carrier

audiocassette

online resource

Digital File Characteristics

audio file

Event

Recorded at Barnard College in, New York, New York, 1988 February 17.

Restricted Access

Patrons can access streaming audio only on site at NYPL Research Libraries.

Original Version

Archival original: (1 audio cassette (64 minutes) : analog) in *LTC-A 1659.

Linking Entry

Forms part of the Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.

Local Note

Transferred from original analog cassette by George Blood Audio on March 26, 2015; two preservation files were created based on cassette sides.

Source

Gift; Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, 2011-2012.

Connect to:

NYPL Digital Collections

Added Author

Genter, Sandra, host.

Barnard College. Department of Dance, host institution.

Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, donor.

Added Title

Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection. Audio materials.

Found In:

Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection.

Research Call Number

*LTC-A 1659

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