Merce Cunningham memorial

About three weeks before Merce Cunningham died in July, the choreographer asked Trevor Carlson, the executive director of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company, a question: “So, what are you guys going to do when I’m not here?” Carlson’s mind went to the worst possible scenario. “I kind of thought, Oh, shit—now his mind is gone,” he recalls. “I said, ‘Well, Merce, we are going to have a world tour, and we’re going to do what we can to put the things that we have in digital form to give to the Cunningham Trust so that they have the materials.’ And he said, ‘No, I know that already. I’m talking about what are you going to do after I’m dead? Are you going to have people come together? What are you going to do?’"

Prompted by that discussion, Carlson has arranged for something larger than the impromptu gathering that was held the day after Cunningham died; on Wednesday 28 at the Park Avenue Armory, dancers and musicians will gather to perform in honor of the great choreographer. The company will perform two Events; in addition, former dancers, including Glen Rumsey, Valda Setterfield, Lisa Boudreau and Banu Ogan, will offer selections from Cunningham’s repertory. “This is in memory of Merce,” Carlson said. “And the people that meant the most to Merce were his dancers.”

The Merce Cunningham Memorial is at the Park Avenue Armory Wed 28.

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A Merce Cunningham dancer on the memorial.

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