Cunningham, Merce (1919-2009), was an American dancer and choreographer (dance creator). Cunningham often created dances without advance knowledge of the music and the set designs that would accompany them. He became especially known for using chance in choreographing a dance. For example, he might list various movements, dancers, lengths of time, and spaces on the stage. He would then toss dice or dip into a grab bag to determine which dancer would do what movement for how long and where. In 1989, he began to compose dances on a computer. In the 1990’s, he developed a computer program called DanceForms (formerly Life Forms) to create dances.
Mercier Philip Cunningham was born in Centralia, Washington, on April 16, 1919. From 1939 to 1945, he was a soloist with the Martha Graham company. In 1944, Cunningham began presenting dances in collaboration with the American composer John Cage. In 1953, Cunningham formed his own company with Cage as musical director. Cunningham choreographed nearly 200 works. He died on July 26, 2009.
