Choreography / 1948

Diversion, A

“A Diversion” was a trio for Cunningham, Louise Lippold and Sara Hamill, made for a concert at Black Mountain College where all three were spending the summer. After that initial show, Cunningham reworked the dance as a solo which he performed on numerous occasions with the subtitle “short suite.” In January 1950, he presented a quartet version made for himself, Dorothy Berea, Mili Churchill, and Anneliese Widman. At some point, the dance acquired a program note which read: “A suite in five parts, which may be taken as referring to the legend of Krishna and the Gopis.”

Details

Premiere Date

Aug 20, 1948

Premiere Venue

Black Mountain College

Premiere Location

Black Mountain, NC

Music

John Cage, Suite for Toy Piano

Costumes

Merce Cunningham

Mary Outten

Duration

8 minutes (est.)

Original Cast

Merce Cunningham

Sara Hamill

Louise Lippold

Other Choreography

Title
Duration
Year
Collaborator(s)
Spontaneous Earth
Duration: 3 minutes (est.)
Year: 1944
Collab.: Cage
Unavailable Memory Of, The
Duration: 2-4 minutes (est.)
Year: 1944
Collab.: Cage
Tossed As It Is Untroubled
Duration: 3 minutes (est.)
Year: 1944
Collab.: Cage
Root of an Unfocus
Duration: 5 minues (est.)
Year: 1944
Collab.: Cage
Triple-Paced
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1944
Collab.: Cage
Four Walls
Duration: 60 minutes
Year: 1944
Collab.: Cage, Lauterer
Idyllic Song
Duration: 6 minutes
Year: 1944
Collab.: Satie
Experiences
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1945
Collab.: Gearhart, Cage