This dance was created by adding a trio, a duet and a quintet to Cunningham’s earlier Solo Suite in Space and Time. By 1958, the original piece had been modified so that Cunningham’s five solos were reduced to three, and a solo for Carolyn Brown was added. The classic purity and tranquility of Suite for Five is acknowledged in the program note, which read, “The events and sounds of this ballet revolve around a quiet center, which though silent and unmoving, is the source from which they happen.” The music, Cage’s Music for Piano, and the choreography, relied on the imperfections in paper and on chance operations, to determine both the musical composition and the movement of the ballet. Robert Rauschenberg designed the earth-toned leotards, with lighting by Beverly Emmons.

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