Choreography / 1953

Untitled Solo

“Untitled Solo” was the first in a trilogy of solos with music by Christian Wolff, “all concerned with the possibility of containment and explosion being instantaneous.” The solo proved exceptionally difficult to dance, largely due to the process Cunningham used in its creation: “A large gamut of movements was devised for this solo, movements for the arms, the legs, the head and the torso, which were separate and essentially tensile in character, and off the normal or tranquil body-balance. These separate movements were arranged in continuity by random means, allowing for the superimposition of one or more, each having its own rhythm and time-length.” In order to manage the complexity of the material, Cunningham rehearsed the solo “inch by inch,” often with David Tudor playing the Wolff piano score. Cunningham premiered the solo at Black Mountain College in the summer of 1953, on one of the inaugural programs given by his newly formed company; he performed it for the final time in 1968 at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Details

Premiere Date

Aug 22, 1953

Premiere Venue

Black Mountain College

Premiere Location

Black Mountain, NC

Music

Christian Wolff, For Piano I

Costumes

Merce Cunningham

Duration

7 minutes (est.)

Original Cast

Merce Cunningham

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