photo: Stephanie Berger for The New York Times

Merce Cunningham comes to Cleveland

Interestingly Merce was here in the 1980s and gave a video dancetalk that I hosted at CSU in the now demolished Hisaka Student Center. He was so engaged that his manager asked me to call the evening to a close because Marce needed to be in the theater early the next day for the tech rehearsal. "What? You want me to ask him to stop? You must be kidding! That's your job... I'd listen to him all night and so would our audience." The manager walked down and quietly told Merce (a couple of times) that it was time to go... gently urging him toward the door. After the concert there was a reception out in Beachwood (Acacia I think) and Merce told us that he had last been in Cleveland on one of his famous Volkswagen bus tours in 1965. He recalled that his longtime partner, John Cage found a rare mushroom on the median along Chester Avenue - that's what he remembered about his trip through Cleveland. 

As a member of the artistic advisory committee of the Cleveland Modern Dance Association back then I had argued for several years to have Merce here, but each attmept was met with someone saying that the work is difficult and the music strange. Finally his company was presented here! The house was packed - they could not have gauged the outpouring from the new music and art community that appeared. Kudos to Danceceleveland for bringing this American Icon to their 2008-09 series. 

Not to be missed!

Everything you wanted to know about Merce. Merce is a New Yorker - the Times covers Merce

Best way to appreciate Merce's work - don't judge, don't analyze, just let it wash over you... marvelous!

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