Choreography / 1953

Fragments

A program note for “Fragments” read “the sounds and sights of this dance occur in the contemporary world of magnetic tape, fables of science and atomic research. The silence of the middle part marks the extremity of the dance’s contrasts.” The dance was in three parts. The first and third part were danced to music for magnetic tape by the French composer Pierre Boulez; the second part was danced in silence. “Fragments” was technically demanding, with many jumps and falls. It did not stay in the repertory for long. Cunningham attributed this to its complexity: keeping it in repertory would have required an excessive amount of rehearsal time that he preferred to use for the creation of new works.

Details

Premiere Date

Dec 30, 1953

Premiere Venue

Theater de Lys

Premiere Location

New York, NY

Music

Pierre Boulez, Etude sur un son and Etude II

Costumes

Remy Charlip

Duration

Length unknown

Original Cast

Carolyn Brown

Remy Charlip

Merce Cunningham

Anita Dencks

Jo Anne Melsher

Marianne Preger-Simon

Paul Taylor

Other Choreography

Title
Duration
Year
Collaborator(s)
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Duration: 6 minutes (est.)
Year: 1949
Collab.: Cage
Effusions avant l'heure
Duration: 4 minutes (est.)
Year: 1949
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Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1949
Collab.: Fini
Two Step
Duration: 2 minutes, 30 seconds (est.)
Year: 1949
Collab.: Satie
Before Dawn
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1950
Collab.:
Pool of Darkness
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1950
Collab.: Weber
Rag-Time Parade
Duration: 3 minutes
Year: 1950
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Waltz
Duration: 5 - 6 minutes (est.)
Year: 1950
Collab.: Satie