Tix Go On Sale For Merce Cunningham Dance Company, The Legacy Tour

Seattle Theatre Group (STG) presents Merce Cunningham Dance Company Legacy Tour on Thursday, October 27th at 7:30pm and Saturday, October 28th at 8:00pm. The Merce Cunningham Dance Company had a profound impact on American art and the avant-garde since its founding in 1953. Guided by Merce Cunningham's radical approach to space, time and technology, the Company has forged a distinctive style, reflecting Cunningham's technique and illuminating the near limitless possibility for human movement.

Centralia, WA native, Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) was one of the world's most preeminent dancer/choreographers. The Legacy Tour celebrates Cunningham's lifetime of artistic achievement and offers Seattle audiences a final opportunity to see Cunningham's choreography performed by the company he personally trained.

The Seattle performances include some of Cunningham's most collaborative, innovative and memorable works:

Thursday, October 27
Xover (2007)
Music by John Cage, decor and costumes by Robert Rauschenberg
Quartet (1982)
Music by David Tudor, costumes by Mark Lancaster
Biped (1999)
Music by Gavin Bryars, decor by Shelley Ehkar, Paul Kaiser

Saturday, October 29
Rainforest (1968)
Music by David Tudor, decor Silver Clouds by Andy Warhol
Duets (1980)
Music by Paedar and Mel Mercier, arranged by John Cage, costumes by Mark Lancaster
Split Sides (2003)
Music by Radiohead, decor by Robert Heishman, costumes by James Hall

"It's an honor to celebrate with Cunningham at The Paramount," said Josh LaBelle, STG Executive Director. "Bringing The Legacy Tour to Seattle was no small task - spearheaded by Donal Byrd of Spectrum Dance Theater, the show is supported by a committee of local organizations central to the success of this program - organizations in the committee also included SAM, OtB, PNB, Boeing and Paul Allen Family Foundation."

"What Merce Means to Us" video features Donald Byrd, Lane Czaplinski, Jill Cunningham, Mark Morris, Amy O'Neal, Sandra Jackson-Dumont and Josh LaBelle commenting on the significance of Merce Cunningham to dance, choreography, the Seattle community and the world.

Educational and community events surrounding the Merce Cunningham Dance Company Legacy Tour include:

Sunday, October 2, 2-3:30 pm
Merce Cunningham Discussion and minEvent
Free; RSVP recommended, email lizy@stgpresents.org
The Paramount Theatre
Learn about the life and work of groundbreaking choreographer, Merce Cunningham in an interactive discussion led by Tonya Lockyer, Executive Director of Velocity Dance Center. Following the discussion, audiences will roam The Paramount Theatre, where dancers and musicians from Cornish College of the Arts present a "minEvent" performance of excerpts from three Cunningham master works to music by John Cage throughout the balcony and lobby of the theatre.

Monday, October 24-Friday, October 28
Master Classes
Members from Merce Cunningham Dance Company teach master classes in multiple studios. Classes include:
Monday, October 24th - Tuesday, October 25th at UW and Cornish (Dance Departments only)
Wednesday, October 26, 7:30-9 pm at Spectrum Dance Studios (Open class; Advanced teen-adult) - call 206-325-4161 to register.
Friday, October 28, 9:30-11 am at Velocity Dance Center (Open class; Intermediate/Advanced adults) - go to velocitydancecenter.org to register.
Thursday, October 27 & Saturday, October 29
Post Performance Discussions
Open to ticketed audiences
Following the performances, join Trevor Carlson (Executive Director, MCDC), Robert Swinston (Director of Choreography, MCDC) and two dancers for a conversation about the choreography and Merce Cunningham's legacy.

About Cunningham Dance Foundation and
the Legacy Plan
The Cunningham Dance Foundation, which has supported the creative work of Merce Cunningham since 1964, developed the precedent-setting Legacy Plan to address how an arts organization established to fulfill a single artist's vision can transform itself to a post-founder existence, and ensure the perpetuation of an enduring creative legacy. Following Cunningham's death in July 2009, the Foundation implemented the multifaceted plan, which includes the celebratory two-year Legacy Tour, and supports career transition for the dancers, musicians, and staff who have invested their time and creative efforts into the realization of Cunningham's vision. The Plan also provides for the creation of digital "Dance Capsules" that will bring Cunningham's work to life for future generations of dancers, scholars, and members of the public.

Following the conclusion of the Legacy Tour and the closure of MCDC, the Cunningham Dance Foundation will also close, and its assets will be transferred to the Merce Cunningham Trust, a separate nonprofit organization established by Cunningham in 2000 to hold the rights to his work and manage his artistic legacy in perpetuity.

About STG Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping three historic venues, The Paramount, Moore and Neptune, alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz, to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at these three iconic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sond region and in Portland, Oregon.