Choreography / 1950

Pool of Darkness

“Pool of Darkness” was a quartet for Cunningham and three women to music by Ben Weber. It premiered on a program at Hunter Playhouse, and was never performed again. According to Cunningham, it was “a serious piece – probably psychological.” Because the Weber music was beyond John Cage’s technical ability, he asked David Tudor, a young virtuoso organist and pianist, to play for rehearsals. This was the beginning of Tudor’s long association with Cage and Cunningham.

Details

Premiere Date

Jan 15, 1950

Premiere Venue

Hunter Playhouse

Premiere Location

New York, NY

Music

Ben Weber, ballet, opus 26

Costumes

Merce Cunningham

Duration

Length unknown

Original Cast

Dorothy Berea

Mili Churchill

Merce Cunningham

Anneliese Widman

Other Choreography

Title
Duration
Year
Collaborator(s)
Princess Zondilda and Her Entourage, The
Duration: 10 minutes (est.)
Year: 1946
Collab.: Haieff
Fast Blues
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1946
Collab.: Dodds
Invocation to Vahakn
Duration: 11 minutes (est.)
Year: 1946
Collab.: Hovhaness
Encounter, The
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1946
Collab.: Cage
Seasons, The
Duration: 15-17 (est.)
Year: 1947
Collab.: Cage, Noguchi
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