Choreography / 1952

Les Noces

“Les Noces” was one of two works commissioned by Leonard Bernstein for the inaugural year of the Festival of the Creative Arts at Brandeis University. Cunningham’s new version of the Stravinsky choral ballet was for a mixed cast of professional and student dancers. Donald McKayle, then a student, remembered that the piece followed the music and the dramatic idea, with some dances that had no narrative content.

Details

Premiere Date

Jun 14, 1952

Premiere Venue

Brandeis University

Premiere Location

Waltham, MA

Music

Igor Stravinsky, Les Noces

Set

Howard Bay

Costumes

Howard Bay

Duration

23 minutes (est.)

Original Cast

Ronne Aul

Phyllis Backer

Helaine Berley

Adelaide Case

Remy Charlip

Merce Cunningham

Ben Garber

Donald McKayle

Jo Anne Melsher

Natanya Neumann

Marianne Preger-Simon

Joan Skinner

Naima Wallenrod

Anneliese Widman

Other Choreography

Title
Duration
Year
Collaborator(s)
Dromenon
Duration: 20 minutes (est.)
Year: 1947
Collab.: Cage, Sekula
Open Road, The
Duration: 4 minutes (est.)
Year: 1947
Collab.: Harrison
Dream
Duration: 5-7 minutes(est.)
Year: 1948
Collab.: Cage
Ruse of Medusa, The
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1948
Collab.: Satie, de Kooning, Outten, Lanier, Johns, Fuller, Johnson, Wright, Asawa, Spillenger
Monkey Dances, [The]
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1948
Collab.: Satie, Outten, Lippold
Orestes
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1948
Collab.: Cage
Diversion, A
Duration: 8 minutes (est.)
Year: 1948
Collab.: Cage, Outten
Amores
Duration: 6 minutes (est.)
Year: 1949
Collab.: Cage