Description: This is the critically acclaimed collaboration for the screen by choreographer Merce Cunningham, composer John Cage, and filmmaker Elliot Caplan. The first half features BBC’s documentary: interviews with Cunningham, Cage and members of the company, as well as scenes from rehearsals in New York and London take the viewer through the complexities – and exhilaration – of bringing new dance to television. The second half features Points in Space performed by Cunningham and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Alister Macauley, writing for the London/Manchester Guardian asks, "Has anyone commanded perspective more beautifully on the small screen?"
"The camera work gives the sense of richness, as does a live Cunningham performance. Cage’s music, "Voiceless Essay," sighs, hisses, and whispers around the action. Everything works to plunge the viewer for a while into an enchanted world inhabited by sleek, strong people in spotted leotards, who move with the energy and determination of budding twigs in springtime." – Maggie Lewis, The Christian Science Monitor
"Superb examples of Cunningham’s talent that dance enthusiasts and students won’t want to miss." – Booklist
Choreography by Merce Cunningham, directed by Elliot Caplan and Merce Cunningham, Music by John Cage: Voiceless Essay, Set by Bill Anastasi, Costumes by Dove Bradshaw, Produced by Bob Lockyer (BBC-TV) and Cunningham Dance Foundation
Dancers: Helen Barrow, Merce Cunningham, Victoria Finlayson, Alan Good, Catherine Kerr, Chris Komar, David Kulick, Patricia Lent, Karen Radford, Rob Remley, Kristy Santimyer, Kevin Schroder, Carol Teitelbaum, Megan Walker, Susan Quinn Young.
Recipient of the Following Acclaim: Prague D’Or, Prague International Television Festival. Finalist, American Film Festival. In the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York City. Photos by Robert Hill / BBC
Nice dance, lousy excuse for music This is all very good choreography very much based in ballet and not digressing far from classical dance. John Cage's music however sounds like me snoring. Since the two artists collaborate by chance and the dancers never hear the music until they perform the piece I suggest you turn the sound off and take a chance on playing some music you like while watching the dancers. I tried it out with some music by Scriabin orchestrated by Nemtin called Nuances now unavailable unfortunately and it worked pretty well.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tailipoe
Trevor
