Choreography / 1949

Effusions avant l'heure

In the summer of 1949, Cunningham and Cage took an extended trip to Europe, during which they received an invitation to give a concert at Jean Hélion’s studio in Paris. Cunningham asked Tanaquil LeClerq and Betty Nichols (two members of Balanchine’s Ballet Society who were in Paris on holiday) to work with him. “Effusions avant l’heure,” one of two new dances made for the occasion, was a trio set to an existing Cage composition called “A Valentine Out of Season.” The dance’s title, a rough translation of the title of the music, was changed to “Games” when the dance was presented in New York, and later to “Trio.”

Details

Premiere Date

Jun 10, 1949

Premiere Venue

Jean Hélion's Studio

Premiere Location

Paris, France

Music

John Cage, A Valentine Out of Season

Costumes

Rehearsal Clothes

Duration

4 minutes (est.)

Original Cast

Merce Cunningham

Tanaquil LeClerq

Betty Nichols

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