The Plain Dealer Sunday, January 25, 2009 DANCE FROM. E1 Movement 'feast' troupe founder's vision "There's a wonderful sense as a viewer not to have to get something, but to experience it," said Trevor Carlson, a former dancer who's been executive director of the Merce' Cunningham Dance Company for 11 years. The evergreen wonder of Cunningham's art returns Saturday to Cleveland. After a 23-year absence, the New York company will take to the stage of the Ohio Theatre in PlayhouseSquare to perform three Cunningham works under the joint auspices of the Cleveland Museum of Art's Viva! Gala Around 1 Town series and DanceCleveland. Avant-garde style unlike any other Cunningham, a native of the state of Washington, founded his troupe in 1953 at Black Mountain College in North Carolina after performing with the Martha Graham Dance Company and starting a solo career.
With Cage, an equally daring avant-gardist, he developed a style unbeholden to moderndance conventions. Many of Cunningham's works gave him opportunities to flex his own, formidable dance muscles, while also venturing into unknown physical territory. He built a repertoire with Cage and other noted composers, though the music became an aspect independent of the movement. Robert Swinston, who joined the company in 1980, was attracted to the choreographer's unique' vision long before he danced his. creations.
"There was so much to see and a lot you couldn't gather in. That made it interesting once I could take that leap in my imagination that nothing had to make concrete sense," said Swinston, who continues to perform while also serving as Cunningham's assistant. "It was a matter of me watching it and being enamored by the complexity. It was a feast of The feast that the Cunningham dancers will serve here Saturday contains works from the 1970s and '80s. Swinston will perform in all three, including the central role in "Second Hand" originated by Cunningham in the 1970 premiere.
The work went out of the repertory in 1972 and didn't return until last March. 1 The title "Second Hand" is a reference to musical intrigues surrounding the piece's genesis. Cunningham originally used Erik Satie's "Socrate" for a solo work, but when he later added two movements, he couldn't obtain Members of the Merce Cunningham Hand," which will be on the troupe's rights from the Satie estate for any of the composer's music. Cage stepped in, contributed music in the style. of Satie, and dubbed the results "Cheap Imitation." Cunningham renamed the dance "Second Hand." Cunningham the catalyst of 'Sounddance' work The work's appearance on the Cleveland program is particularly apt.
The costumes were designed by Jasper Johns, many of whose paintings, drawings, etchings and. sculptures are in the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art, one of the performance's presenters. "Sounddance" (1975) also originally featured Cunningham as the lead in the cast of 10. Swinston 1 "I Cunningham is the leader, catalyst, magician, shaman." Robert dancer and Cunningham's assistant "BIG THRILLS AND BIG LAUGHS!" David Sheehan, HOLLYWOOD CLOSE- UPS PICTURES BEDTIME STORIES Text STORIES to DISNEY 1347639) GOSHEY ENTERPRISES, INC. cerver Stories FOR THEATRES AND SHOWTIMES: CHECK LOCAL lISTINGS OR TEXT BED WITH YOUR ZIP CODE TO 43KIX (43549) OR VISIT Disney.com/BedtimeStories lether honey World RICHLY FUNNY AND TOUCHING, IT'S TOO GOOD TO RESIST" PETER TRAVERS.
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Chance procedures and two electronic-music pieces on tape converge to create a work of intense atmosphere. "It's a lovely dance," Swinston said. "Of course, there's no specific ACADEMY NOMINEE BEST ACTRESS ANNE HATHAWAY IS A REVELATION!" Owen Gleiberman, ENTERTAINMENT WEEKEY. RACHEL GETTING MARRIED A JONATHAN DEMME PICTURE WRITTEN BY JENNY LUMET PRODUCED AND HIRECTED BY JONATHAN DEMME I SONT ON A PICTURES REGAL CINEMAS REGAL CINEMAS COBBLESTONE SQUARE RICHMOND TWN. SQ.
20 Sheffield Village 800-Fandango Richmond Heights 440-720-0504 Dance Company perform their program Saturday at the Ohio saw the piece before he joined the company, which dropped it from the repertory in 1980. In the 1994 revival, Swinston danced the principal role, as he has in recent Cunningham is "the catalyst of the piece," said Swinston. "He is the leader, catalyst, magician, shaman. He's the spark plug of the dance. When you do something over and over, you find a way to do it.
It's an exciting dance to dance." One of the distinctive facets of "Fabrications" (1987) is the costuming by Dove Bradshaw. Unlike many Cunningham pieces, which are performed in tights and leotards, this creation finds the women in dresses and the men in "FOUR PAWS UPT (LAS VEGAS) JEFFREY K. HOWARD HotEL on DOGS PG HotelForDogsMovie.com DREAM NOW PLAYING CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATRES AND SHOWTIMES SPECIAL ENGAGEMENTS NO Pick up a pupi Text DOG to 33287 to download a wallpaper of your favorite stray. OR DISCOUNT TICKETS ACCEPTED FRANKLANGELLA MICHAELSHEEN ACADEMY NOMINATIONS ICE BEST PICTURE BEST ACTOR BEST 4 DIRECTOR BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY TE RESTRICTED A 1. AT OH PLONARES ADVAJ ACCOMPANYING IMAGINE WORKING TITLE SOME LANGUADE UNIVERSAL AUDIOS.
UNIVERSAL CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS FOR THEATRES AND SHOWTIMES MOBILE USERS: For Showtimes Text FROST with your ZIP CODE to 43KIX (43549)! meaning to it, but for anyone watching Merce's work, it's up to the audience to complete the dance. There's enough that can inspire the imagination of the audience." The company itself continues draw inspiration from Cunningham, who uses a wheelchair. Swinston said the choreographer works daily in the studio, where he has been preparing his newest piece, "Nearly 90," for its world premiere on his 90th birthday (April 16). Only a handful of other dance companies come close to the durability of Cunningham Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Paul Taylor are others which Swinston ascribes to bold artistic vision. "These very strong individuals were able to command enough attention not just from the audience, but from followers who believed in them and stuck with them," he said.
"There were a lot of. angels along the way to finance these difficult years." Especially now. The troupe 14 dancers on 40-week contracts usually operates on a $5 million annual budget, but the current economy has forced a 22 percent reduction this year. "Our company is perceived as being in the black," said executive director Carlson. "It's a large com-' pany and been around for some time.
We have great relationships with visual artists and wonderful key figures in our community and others who are on our board. But the fact is, we do struggle the same as anyone else does." Tension is also an artistic reality, according to Swinston, who champions Cunningham's use of dancers' individual gifts. "He's always expanding physical capabilities of each dancer beyond what they would ever imagine doing," said Swinston. "He's sly and he's devilish. "It can be quite difficult, but that's part of the thing with Merce.
You always end up doing it. The finished product comes as a result of the struggle." To reach Donald Rosenberg: 216-999-4269 Sunday Arts E7 RADIO Clear Channel layoffs hit local stations JULIE E. WASHINGTON Plain Dealer Reporter WGAR morning cohost Michelle Maloney, WTAM news reporter Greg Saber and WMVX producer Brigette Dineen were victims of this week's layoffs at Clear Channel Communication's Northeast Ohio stations. Maloney was Jim Mantel's cohost on WGAR's morning show, and Dineen mixed it up with morning guys Brian and Joe on WMVX. Clear Channel announced layoffs of a total of 1,850 employees, about 9 percent of its work force, in a companywide e-mail sent Tuesday.
Most of those affected in Northeast Ohio were salespeople, producers and assistants, said local media consultant John Gorman. A Clear Channel receptionist told callers on Wednesday that Maloney, Saber and Dineen were no longer with the company. Clear Channel won't release names of those affected, break down the number of layoffs by region or comment 1 beyond Tuesday's internal e-mail, said a company spokesman. Maloney came to WGAR in 2004 from another country-music station in Pittsburgh. Saber, a native Clevelander, was a reporter for the old WAKR (later WAKC) television station in Akron during the 1980s.
He joined WTAM in 1990. In 2006, Saber reported from Iraq, interviewing soldiers with Northeast Ohio ties. Clear Channel has six stations in Cleveland and three in Akron. To reach this Plain Dealer reporter: 216-999-4539 "HILARIOUS!" BRIDE WARS 3 PG www.bridewars.com CHECK MOVIE DIRECTORY FOR THEATRES AND SHOWTIMES Mobile Users: For Showtimes Text. Message BRIDEWARS and your ZIP CODE fo 43KIX: (43549).
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