Chance as a choreographic device Merce Cunningham Chance as a choreographic device

Cunningham was intrigued by the potential of random phenomena as determinants of structure. Inspired also by the pursuit of pure movement as devoid as possible of emotional implications 

Cunningham developed “choreography by chance,” a technique in which selected isolated movements are assigned sequence by such random methods as tossing a coin. 

Cunningham’s unconventional choreography meant that he avoided the traditional principles of ‘good’ composition- such as every dance must have a clear start, middle and end…’anything can follow anything’ applies to all his work

Movement itself is the principal subject matter of his dances: neither narrative nor musical form determines their structure. His collaboration with the composer John Cage began with Cunningham’s first independent choreography, in 1942, and lasted until Cage’s death fifty years later. In the course of their work together they proposed a number of radical innovations. The most famous, and controversial, of these concerned the relationship of dance and music.

In the early dances, dance and music shared an agreed time structure, coming together at certain key points but otherwise pursuing independent paths. As time went on, even those key points disappeared, and the relationship became still freer*. The independence is now total–famously, the dancers in Cunningham’s company learn and rehearse a work in silence and often do not hear the music until the first performance, or at any rate the dress rehearsal. * a person or thing that frees

Other conventional elements of dance structure were also abandoned: conflict and resolution, cause and effect, climax and anti-climax. Cunningham is not interested in telling stories or exploring psychological states. This does not mean that drama is absent, but it arises from the intensity of the kinetic and theatrical experience, and the human situation on stage. Cunningham’s dancers are not pretending to be anything other than themselves-as he once said, “you are not necessarily at your best, but at your most human.”