Merce Cunningham died yesterday at his home in NYC. National Public Radio featured a rememberance on their broadcast. And the New York Times has a video retrospective.
His company was performing this past week at Jacob's Pillow festival; Their web page states -July 27, 2009
After a celebratory week honoring his life and work, Jacob's Pillow mourns the loss of Merce Cunningham. Ella Baff, Executive Director of Jacob's Pillow, comments:
"Merce: one word that describes a revolution.
He performed with Martha Graham, who danced with Ruth St. Denis, partner of Ted Shawn, who founded Jacob's Pillow. He belongs to an unbroken lineage of dance in America. Then he created something completely new that influenced the world; it was as if dance began again. It was a joy to celebrate his 90th birthday this past week and to honor him earlier this year with the Jacob's Pillow Dance Award. Merce first performed at the Pillow in 1955, and in what feels today like a profound moment of completion, the performances here were the last he saw of his company - our opening night on Wednesday was streamed to him on his laptop. He always lived in the future, and the rest of us followed him there."
For more information, please visit the Merce Cunningham Dance Company website.
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