Choreography: Merce Cunningham & John Scott
Composers: John King & Mel Mercier
Choreographer John Scott has taken on to support and implement Merce Cunningham’s vision as outlined in The Cunningham Dance Foundation’s Legacy Plan. This evening, at Dublin’s Project Arts Centre, to music by composer John King, Irish Modern Dance Theatre performs Four Solos from his repertoire, bringing the legendary dancer and choreographer’s work to contemporary audiences, thus keeping it alive.
With Begin Anywhere, the second part of tonight’s programme, Scott and composer Mel Mercier take Cunningham’s experimental composer partner, John Cage’s aphorism and use it as inspiration to create a piece in honour of the dynamically artistic duo.
It is a case of expostulation and reply. In the first instance, Four Solos serves to showcase Cunningham’s unique style. Between them, in bare feet, Magdalena Hylak, Francois Malbranque and Boris Charrion perfectly execute a range of balances, movements and sequences that are alternately robotic and balletic, still and travelling, minimal and expansive. Lower arms and legs are held at right angles in position, knees turn inwards, torsos with windmilling arms bend and sway every which way contrasting with large open lunges, pliés, sautés, jetés and arabesques. Malbranque is mesmerising.
King’s electronic backdrop of sound suggests radio interference, buzzing bees, ringing bells, some welcome piano playing and more. It is difficult to listen to, appearing to exist in and of itself, playing in tandem with but bearing no relationship to the dance. This is in keeping with Cunningham and Cage’s philosophy that music and dance can exist independently.
In response, for Begin Anywhere, Scott assumes elements of Cunningham’s technique but embellishes. Composer and sound designer Mel Mercier takes to the stage along with musicians, Caoimhe Ní Fhlatharta, Kevin McNally, and Mick O’Shea. They sit in an arc watching over the performers. The engineering of some of the instruments on display is intriguing to say the least. Hylak is back, she places a cassette recorder on the floor. Audio from sonic artist Danny McCarthy fills the space. A funny and flamboyant Vinícius Martins Araújo arrives shaking frenetically and kicking like a New York vagabond.
We enjoy an Irish air, played beautifully on violin by Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta. There are echoes of Cunningham’s Roaratorio. Adam O’Reilly joins Araújo and the original three dancers to chatter incoherently towards the audience in their individual mix of languages. We listen to voices of former members of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Their words struggle to be heard against the cacophony of sound.
Meanwhile, with tremendous physicality, stamina and recall, the dancers are in constant motion – together, apart, in pairs – stepping, turning, running, jumping, rolling. Elements of Four Solos are reiterated. At times, Uí Fhlatharta sings along with her playing. The strains of sean nós are a balm and a respite from the ‘electronic noise as music’ that will eventually swallow them, and the teasing of a flute and bodhrán, whole.
Scott and Mercier have undoubtedly succeeded in paying tribute to the legacy of Cunningham and Cage respectively. The production feels very much like a celebration of art through modern dance and experimental music and sound. Artists and composers such as Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein, David Tudor and Christian G. Wolff are just some of Cunningham and Cage’s many avant-garde contemporaries. Creatives such as these lived to push boundaries and challenge perceptions. While tonight’s sound was indeed challenging to experience for a sustained period, it demanded our attention and was discussed long after the performance ended.
The dancers are wonderful. Their performances are a joy from start to finish. Cunningham’s choreography is always arresting and Scott’s superb lily gilding in Begin Anywhere makes for a visual feast.
Runs Until 15th March 2025.
