Merce Cunningham at 90

Part of the 2009 Spring Season

Apr 16 at 7pm*
Apr 17 & 18 at 7:30pm
Apr 19 at 3pm

*BAM Spring Gala

Nearly Ninety
Merce Cunningham Dance Company
Choreography by Merce Cunningham

Commissioned by BAM


“...he has routinely been described as the world’s greatest choreographer… The dances he has made this millennium suggest, amazingly, that no choreographer alive is more concerned with continuing to extend his range.”
—The New York Times

April 16 marks the 90th birthday of Merce Cunningham—one of the most important choreographers of our time—whose radical approaches to space, time, and technology continue to redefine the way we experience dance. Over the course of his celebrated career, he has forged a distinctive language of movement, illuminating the body’s inherent drama and limitless capacity for change. And as a longtime collaborator of John Cage, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jasper Johns, he has played a leading role in fostering innovation across art forms.

In celebration of his birthday, Merce Cunningham Dance Company returns to BAM with the world premiere of a dazzling evening-length work created in collaboration with and performed live by Led Zeppelin's legendary multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones, mixed-media sound composer Takehisa Kosugi, and seminal indie rock band Sonic Youth. With an intriguing multi-tiered décor by world-renowned architect Benedetta Tagliabue, lighting by Tony and Obie-winning designer Brian MacDevitt, video design by Franc Aleu, and costumes by Romeo Gigli, this new masterpiece is testament to the boundless imagination of a man who, on the cusp of his tenth decade, still keeps us on our toes.


BAM Howard Gilman Opera House
Running time: 90min with intermission

Subscription tickets: $20, 36, 52, 60
(Full price: $25, 45, 65, 75)


Music composed and performed by
John Paul Jones, Takehisa Kosugi, and Sonic Youth:
Kim Gordon, Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, Steve Shelley
Décor Design by Benedetta Tagliabue
Costume Design by Romeo Gigli for io ipse idem
Lighting Design by Brian MacDevitt
Video Design by Franc Aleu

Merce Cunningham Dance Company
Visit the official homepage of the renowned dance company. More

Interview with Merce Cunningham
Merce recounts his early days with Martha Graham and an early rendezvous with John Cage. More

Article: Don't Look Now
Merce draws, plays critic, and choreographs on the computer in this profile from The Guardian. More

Mondays with Merce
Watch a unique series that takes you to the rehearsal studio with Merce and his dancers. More

The New York Times on "Merce Cunningham at 90"
"This Probably Isn’t Possible, But..." by Alistair Macaulay. More

Merce Cunningham Article (PDF)
Nancy Dalva talks with Merce about Nearly Ninety. More

NPR Audio: Merce Cunningham: Dance at the Edge
Says Merce, "I think of dancing as being movement, any kind of movement. And that it is as accurate and impermanent as breathing." More

Official Homepage of John Paul Jones (performer/composer)
The official homepage of the Led Zepplin bassist and co-creator and performer in Merce Cunningham at 90. More

Official Homepage of Sonic Youth (performer/composer)
The official homepage of rock legend Sonic Youth, co-collaborator and performer in Merce Cunningham at 90. More

Biography of mixed-media sound composer Takehisa Kosugi (performer/composer)
Read the biography of mixed-media sound composer Takehisa Kosugi co-creator and performer in Merce Cunningham at 90. More

Biography of architect Benedetta Tagliabue (sets)
More

Official Homepage of Romeo Gigli (costumes)
The official homepage of the Italian fashion icon and costume designer of Merce Cunningham at 90. More