In nature, all art is accidental.
The color of the trees, the shape of nearby hills, rolling cloud formations and the directness of sunlight, maybe a waterfall or a quiet pond - all of it must come together on its own to create an enduring scene, a classic photograph. There is nobody in charge of making it happen.
The dance icon Merce Cunningham believed strongly in the power of these fateful intercessions. His gift was to go in harm's way as a fearless choreographer of pure movement, while inviting his life companion, the composer John Cage, to create modern soundscapes equally as fearless. Many times the conceptual painter Robert Rauschenberg provided abstract designs for the sets and costumes the equal of his pals Cunningham and Cage.
Now, this 60-year history of exploration is contributing to the 21st century of dance with the Legacy Tour of Merce Cunningham's Dance Company. Cunningham passed away in July 2009, at age 90, giving specific instructions for his company to tour a selection of his works internationally for two years, using the same dancers he had trained personally. The final performance will be on New Year's Eve in Manhattan, after playing 35 cities in six countries.
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Last weekend the Legacy tour stopped in Centennial Hall at the University of Arizona. The choreographer's concepts have never seemed more timely. Unlike attempts to preserve the monumental works of other dance legends, this tour is not an act of preserving cultural antiquities.
Cunningham's determination to create movement free of any preconception is inspirational. Because his dances are so open, not tied to a specific narrative or notion, and because the music is equally free of any moment in time, everything on stage is fresh.
Not just timeless like a classic, but alive … like today.
In a practical sense, we can look at a piece such as "Crisis," which premiered in 1960, and still find those magic moments of coincidence where body shapes, rhythmic steps and a trail of notes through his colorfully charged stage space can stop your breath with its originality.
Cunningham was not a definer of dance, nor a mapmaker of possibility. He was an explorer and his discoveries are dance treasure.
The pieces selected span the choreographer's career, from "Crisis" through "Biped" (1999) to "Xover" (2007).
In a company where the music is always as important and innovative as the dance, the concert-opening piece was set on five dancers to Cage's "Aria" and "Fontanta Mix," written for electronic devices played by three musicians and pitch-perfect vocalist Aurora Josephson.
Haunted sounds and ethereal voice moved in unexpected directions without any established tempo. Yet, for the relaxed ear that doesn't require any guidance, the emotional effect could be equally mysterious and joyful.
"Biped," filling the concert's entire second half, was the most visual, dropping a scrim across the front of the stage on which various line drawings were projected. Occasionally, horizontal lines would scroll down, reminiscent of the pattern on black-and-white television screens that needed adjustment.
Describing details of the choreography from individual pieces is pointless, as there are few reference points from which to begin. Dancers spin around balance points or fall away from them, leap or glide, move abruptly or not at all.
Just like in nature, the parts you remember are the ones that occur without precedent. There is no building tension, no sudden release, just that connection to art that is always in the eye and mind of the beholder.
Review
Merce Cunningham Dance Company Legacy Tour at Centennial Hall last Saturday.
Read more of Chuck Graham's arts coverage at "Let the Show Begin," www.tucsonstage.com
