Episode 8 of Mondays with Merce teaches us that though Merce himself has passed on, the fundamentals still apply—and that is where he began. Let's do the same.

Posted on September 30, 2009 by Patric King.

Phoenix Art Museum
Ellman Fashion Design Gallery
November 7 - March 7, 2010

Featuring more than 30 garments, Geoffrey Beene: Trapeze profiles a fanciful custom-made wardrobe from Patsy Tarr, a prominent supporter of dance in New York and our founder and publisher.

Unlike a retrospective, the exhibition provides unique insight into the creative relationship between designer and client. Featuring one-of-kind garments and unique items, the exhibition clearly expresses the designer’s sense of humor and expertise with fabric. Also present is Beene’s love of flowers, dots, curves, wraps, folds and triangles, reoccurring themes present is several of the designs.

Designed by our own Abbott Miller, the installation draws inspiration from Beene’s love of the circus. Surrounded by polka-dots and stripes, specially designed mannequins will be suspended from the ceiling displaying Patsy's clothes. Tom Kalin’s film “30” commissioned by Beene in 1993, will play on a continuous loop - its film noir surrealism complementing the installation theme.

Posted on September 10, 2009 by Patric King.

A few words from our friend, Nancy Dalva, producer of Mondays with Merce:

The sky crackled with lightning last night, the air rattled with thunder, and at home, peacefully, in his sleep, Merce Cunningham joined with the elements so natural to him: the earth, the sky, the water, and the air. Those birds he drew--they could fly, as he once could, and as, until his last week, he set his dancers to doing. He said recently that choreography had become, for him, "a habit of mind." We were talking, then (for "Mondays with Merce"), about how he could choreograph now that he could no longer move--as in like manner Beethoven composed when he could no longer hear.... As movement was taken from him, his dancers gave it back to him. So direct, their process with Merce: thought into movement, with nothing intermediary. These past months, he was tired; but he was game. He never stopped laughing, at himself as much as anyone or anything. To the end he was gallant and courteous with visitors, and clear. Always clear, like those green eyes that could look as blue as the sky on a cloudless day. I asked him this:

"Merce, how is it that without music, without narrative, and with your using chance procedures to remove yourself, to keep from imposing your personality on the movement, that your dances are so passionate?" "Because," he said, "I love dancing!"

Copyright © 2009 Nancy Dalva
Photo courtesy Hugo Glendinning

Posted on July 27, 2009 by Patric King.

The board and staff of the Cunningham Dance Foundation and the Merce Cunningham Dance Company honor the extraordinary life of our friend and mentor Merce Cunningham. Merce revolutionized the visual and performing arts - not for the sake of iconoclasm, but for the beauty and wonder that lay in exploring new possibilities. An inspiring performer and dancer into his 80s, and a visionary chorographer and dedicated teacher throughout his life, he led quietly and by example. With his partner John Cage, he opened up new ways of perceiving and experiencing the world, and his insatiable curiosity, collaborative spirit, and love of the new inspired countless artists across disciplines. Merce has left an indelible mark on our collective creativity and culture; his legacy will resonate in the dance world and beyond for generations to come.

Posted on July 27, 2009 by Patric King.

Click the image below to see a wonderful series of images of parkour, created by London-based photography studio, Alex & Cocco.

In their words:

"Our urban environments are about far more than bricks and concrete. Architecture comes alive when used as an urban playground, offering a never-ending set of challenging surfaces and spaces to those willing to explore them."

This portfolio is continued at their own site, linked below.

All photography © Alex & Cocco, www.distilennui.com.

Posted on July 21, 2009 by Patric King.

In Merce's own words:

"Presented without intermission, Events consist of excerpts of dances from the repertory and new sequences arranged for the particular performance and place, with the possibility of several separate activities happening at the same time."

Watch it here.

Posted on July 20, 2009 by Patric King.

This is an intriguing installment in the ongoing Mondays with Merce series---one which explores the notion of dancing as yourself, not in character in a narrative piece.

Posted on June 08, 2009 by Patric King.

This is fun: a mention of our benefit with Chez Buswick in Bill Cunningham's column for the New York Times.

Posted on May 11, 2009 by Patric King.

Fascinating interview with Merce Cunningham upon the showing of Nearly Ninety.

Posted on May 07, 2009 by Patric King.

Jonah Bokaer is holding an event celebrating Everybody Dance Now (and 2wice in general) at Chez Bushwick soon! Details are here, at the Chez Bushwick site.

And DART has posted a wonderful writeup at their site of our exhibition at the AIGA Gallery. Thanks to everyone! hope to see you at Chez Bushwick.

Image from New York Social Diary's interview with Jonah.

Posted on April 23, 2009 by Patric King.