From the Executive Director

During this year's busy summer workshop season, we held our first official Cunningham Technique® Teacher Training session. This curriculum was designed to help us lay a strong foundation for the future of the Technique, graduating authorized instructors who are now teaching around the globe. Below is a brief overview of this significant initiative from  Jennifer Goggans (MCDC 2000-11), the Trust Program Director. You can also read more about the program here.

Elise Logan, this year's Rights and Arts Administration Associate, has just finished her term with the Trust. While with us, Elise offered strong support in the office while digging into all the things that make the Trust the strong legacy organization it is. We look forward to watching Elise as she continues to build her career. She will always have a home at the Merce Cunningham Trust.

Beginning in September, we are excited to offer new monthly one-day open workshops that explore different aspects of Cunningham’s repertory and teaching. The first of these will be a Cunningham Technique Back Exercises Tutorial, which will be followed by a workshop on eyeSpace (2006/7). In addition, the Mark Morris Studios will begin offering a beginner-level Cunningham Technique class on Saturdays starting September 21st and we will pause our regular Tuesday and Thursday classes at the start of October.

As you can see from the upcoming activities, it will be a busy fall and we look forward to continuing to engage with Merce's legacy and with all of you.

Cunningham Technique Teacher Training 

After several years of development, this summer marked the official launch of our Cunningham Technique Teacher Training Program. Twelve individuals were chosen for the two-week intensive from a large pool of very capable applicants. Not only did these candidates have the required qualifications, but each of them also has a current teaching practice where they can immediately begin implementing their new knowledge.

I was joined by my esteemed colleagues, Lisa Boudreau (MCDC 1994-2008), Janet Charleston, Brandon Collwes (MCDC 2006-11), Jeannie Steele (MCDC 1993-2005), Carol Teitelbaum (MCDC 1986-93), and our wonderful musician, Jack Goode, to lead sessions unpacking all the various elements of the class as well as many supplemental classes including Placement and Body Awareness and Communication Tools when Working with a Live Accompanist. The participants often joined the Trust’s open-level daily classes and, as practice in teaching is such an integral part of the program, they all had the opportunity to lead hour-long warm-ups for each other as well.

There is always a sense of community that is built in these workshops, partly due to the intense nature of the work being experienced, but also due to the trust that is built when teaching one another and both giving and receiving feedback from peers. Even as a veteran teacher, I learn more and more about this technique each year, due largely to the questions presented and the investigation that takes places during these workshops.

I would like to extend a huge congratulations to all the participants of this year’s intensive: Mitchell Christie (Australia), Roberta D’Amore (Italy), Vincas Greene (Spokane, Washington), Garth Grimball (Oakland, California), CJ Johnson (New York, NY), Joey Kipp (New York, NY), Daylita Nereyeth(India), Stefania Previtera (Italy), Anna Peretz Rogovoy (Madison, Wisconsin), Lana Seeley(Barbados), Irene van Zeeland (France), and Anson Zwingelberg (Myrtle Beach, SC).

-- Jennifer Goggans, Program Director

“Being with the technique has offered me a type of grace that extends beyond dancing.”

-- Garth Grimball

“It was an incredible, exciting experience, a dream come true. All the teachers of the training were at our disposal for any questions or further information. I found a peaceful, collaborative group, special colleagues who also became friends because the training favored our collaboration, allowing each of us to learn from the others. This is amazing! Thank you for this experience that I will never forget and thank you always Merce for giving the world your genius.”

-- Stefania Previtera

BIPED in Rome

Photo: C. Agathe Poupeney

The Lyon Opera Ballet, under the direction of Cédric Andrieux (MCDC 1999-2007), presents its production of BIPED as part of the Romaeuropa Festival at the Rome Opera.

September 4 & 5, 2024

Click here for more information and tickets.

Cunningham Films in Los Angeles

Experimentations: The Art of Controlled Procedures is a group exhibition featuring work by artists whose approach to their practice involves a scientific mindset. The exhibition, at the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, will feature four Cunningham films. 

September 7, 2024 - January 5, 2025

Click here for more information about the exhibit.

Back Exercises Tutorial 

Longtime Cunningham teacher Janet Charleston will lead a specialized class offering a deep dive into the opening back exercises of Cunningham Technique classes. This session will take place at the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn from 10am-12pm and is open to all - no experience with Cunningham Technique is necessary.

September 14, 2024

Click here to register for the Back Exercise Tutorial.

MERCE / MISHA / MORE

Photo: Daniel Madoff

Kaatsbaan launches its Annual Festival with a film celebrating decades of friendship, mutual admiration, and collaboration between Mikhail Baryshnikov and Merce Cunningham. The evening will also be presented in an encore showing of the film at Baryshnikov Arts Center as part of their fall season. 

MERCE / MISHA / MORE includes a Cunningham duet featuring Alvin Ailey dancers Jacquelin Harris and Chalvar Monteiro, and Daniel Madoff's film Event at REDCAT,produced by Nancy Dalva.

September 13 - 15, 2024 at Kaatsbaan

Click here for more information about the Kaatsbaan screening.

September 20, 2024 at Baryshnikov Arts

Click here for more information about the BAC screening.

eyeSpace Repertory Workshop

The Merce Cunningham Trust will host a One-Day Repertory Workshop of the dance eyeSpace (2006/7), led by former company member Brandon Collwes. The workshop will take place Sept. 28th, 10:30am-2:30pm at the Joyce East Studios in Manhattan and is open to all levels.

September 28, 2024

Click here to register for the eyeSpace one-day Workshop.

Charles Atlas Retrospective

Photo: Torse Still

ICA Institue of Contemporary Art / Boston presents the first retrospective of Charles Atlas, the long-time filmmaker, collaborator and designer for Merce Cunningham. The exhibition takes the form of an immersive environment featuring highlights from over 50 years of work. The exhibition website listing describes the collaboration thus: Atlas and Cunningham created the genre of 'media-dance': dance made for the camera, rather than an in-person audience, wherein the camera moves seamlessly in concert with the dancers. 

October 10, 2024 - March 16, 2025 

Click here for more information about the exhibition.

MinEvent at Urbana Champaign

Former MCDC member Paige (Cunningham) Caldarella (2000-2004) stages a MinEvent for the students at the University of Illinois, Urbana Champaign. The MinEventincludes choreography from Fielding Sixes, BIPED and other Cunningham works.

October 10 - 12, 2024

Click here for more information about the performance.

Daily In-Person Classes

Cunningham Technique® classes take place daily as follows.

Monday & Wednesday & Friday classes are in Brooklyn

at the Mark Morris Dance Center

3 Lafayette Avenue

10:15-11:45am

Tuesday & Thursday classes (through September 30) are at the 

Joyce East 10 Street Studio at 287 E 10th St in Manhattan

10:15-11:45am

Please check our website for holidays when there will be no classes.

Class enrollment is limited and 

all students must be registered and pay their class fee in advance. 

Discounted 10-class cards are available.

Register here.

Check our website or Instagram feed for more information and updates.

For additional information: classes@mercecunningham.org