Editing Merce Cunningham (section)

==Biography==
Merce Cunningham was born in [[Centralia, Washington]], in 1919, the second of three sons. Both of his brothers followed their father, Clifford D. Cunningham,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9042|title= Cunningham, Merce (1919-2009), Choreographer|access-date=2014-09-26}}</ref> into the legal profession. Cunningham first experienced dance while living in Centralia. He took a [[tap dance]] class from a local teacher, Mrs Maude Barrett, whose energy and spirit taught him to love dance. Her emphasis on precise musical timing and rhythm provided him with a clear understanding of musicality that he implemented in his later dance pieces.<ref>''Merce Cunningham''. Cunningham Dance Foundation, 1980. VAST: Academic Video Online. Alexander Street Press. Accessed 27 June 2015.</ref> He attended the [[Cornish College of the Arts]] in Seattle, headed by [[Nellie Cornish]], from 1937 to 1939 to study acting, but found drama's reliance on text and miming too limiting and concrete. Cunningham preferred the ambiguous nature of dance, which gave him an outlet for exploration of movement.<ref>Interview with Merce Cunningham. MacNeil-Lehrer Productions, 1999. Dance in Video: Volume II. Alexander Street Press. Accessed 27 June 2015.</ref> During this time, [[Martha Graham]] saw Cunningham dance and invited him to join her company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mercecunningham.org/merce-cunningham/|title=Merce Cunningham|publisher=mercecunningham.org|year=2013|access-date=2013-03-13|archive-date=2017-01-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170116105515/http://www.mercecunningham.org/merce-cunningham/|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1939, Cunningham moved to New York City and danced as a soloist in the [[Martha Graham Dance Company]] for six years. He presented his first solo concert in New York in April 1944 with composer [[John Cage]], who became his lifelong romantic partner and frequent collaborator until Cage's death in 1992.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Kaufman|first1=Susan|title=John Cage, with Merce Cunningham, revolutionised music, too|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/theatre_dance/john-cage-with-merce-cunningham-revolutionised-music-too/2012/08/30/a3edbaf8-f177-11e1-892d-bc92fee603a7_story.html|access-date=28 June 2015|newspaper=Washington Post|date=30 August 2012}}</ref>

In the summer of 1953, as a teacher in residence at [[Black Mountain College]], Cunningham formed the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.

Throughout his career, Cunningham choreographed more than 200 dances and over 800 ''Events'', or [[site-specific performance|site-specific]] choreographic works. In 1963 he joined with Cage to create the [[Walker Art Center]]'s first performance, instigating what would be a 25-year collaborative relationship with the Walker. In his performances, he often used the ''[[I Ching]]'' to determine the sequence of his dances and, often, dancers were not informed of the order until the night of the performance. In addition to his role as choreographer, Cunningham performed as a dancer in his company into the early 1990s.

In 1968 Cunningham published his book ''Changes: Notes on Choreography'', edited by Francis Starr, containing various sketches of his choreography. A mural, located in Washington Hall on the campus of [[Centralia College]], was created in honor of Cunningham.<ref>{{cite news |author1=The Chronicle Editorial Board |title=Our Views: The Most Famous Centralian? Merce Cunningham |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/our-views-the-most-famous-centralian-merce-cunningham,189042? |access-date=August 12, 2024 |work=[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)|The Chronicle]] |date=June 10, 2009}}</ref>

Cunningham continued to live in New York City and lead his dance company as Artistic Director until his death. He presented his last work, a new work, ''Nearly Ninety'', in April 2009, at the [[Brooklyn Academy of Music]], New York, to mark his 90th birthday.<ref>{{cite news |last=Vaughan |first=David |title=Merce Cunningham |url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2009/jul/27/obituary-merce-cunningham |work=[[The Guardian]] |location=London |date=July 27, 2009 |access-date=May 12, 2010}}</ref> Later that year he died in his home at the age of 90.<ref>{{cite news |title=Dance great Cunningham dies at 90 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/arts_and_culture/8171036.stm |publisher=[[BBC News]] |date=July 28, 2009 |access-date=November 18, 2012}}</ref>