Choreography / 1958

Suite for Two

Suite for Two is an arrangement of three solos and a duet for Merce Cunningham and Carolyn Brown.  The two solos for Cunningham, "At Random" and "Stillness," were originally part of the 1953 dance Solo Suite in Space and Time, and were later incorporated into the 1956 group dance Suite for Five.  The duet for Cunningham and Brown, called "Extended Moment," was also part of Suite for Five.  In May 1958, Cunningham and Brown gave a concert at the University of Pittsburgh.  For that occasion, Cunningham made a new solo for Brown called "A Meander" which she described as having "many held positions followed by sudden bursts of energy."  Brown's solo, along with Cunningham's two solos and the duet, were performed under the title Suite for Two, and subsequently given several times in 1958 and 1960 on European tours done by Cunningham, Brown, John Cage and David Tudor.  Suite for Two used the same Rauschenberg design and Cage piano music as Suite for Five.

Details

Premiere Date

May 21, 1958

Premiere Venue

University of Pittsburgh

Premiere Location

Pittsburgh, PA

Music

John Cage, Music for Piano

Costumes

Robert Rauschenberg

Lighting

Robert Rauschenberg

Duration

15 Minutes

Original Cast

Carolyn Brown

Merce Cunningham

Other Choreography

Title
Duration
Year
Collaborator(s)
Solo Suite in Space and Time
Duration: 15 minutes (est.)
Year: 1953
Collab.: Cage
Demonstration Piece
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1953
Collab.:
Epilogue
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1953
Collab.: Satie
Dime a Dance
Duration: Variable
Year: 1953
Collab.: Tudor, Charlip
Banjo
Duration: 3 minutes, 30 seconds (est.)
Year: 1953
Collab.: Gottschalk, Charlip
Untitled Solo
Duration: 7 minutes (est.)
Year: 1953
Collab.: Wolff
Septet
Duration: 16 minutes
Year: 1953
Collab.: Satie, Charlip
Fragments
Duration: Length unknown
Year: 1953
Collab.: Boulez, Charlip