We Give Ourselves Away at Every Moment: An EVENT for Merce, a tribute
http://www.thirteen.org/sundayarts/blog/performance/merce-reflected/866/
A year ago, in one of the most memorable performances I’d seen the company give, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company performed in Battery Park City, just after the choreographer’s passing. The weather—the epitome of summer—was so perfect, it seemed to mock the sadness that hung over the vast audience, emotions still raw from Merce’s absence. As a coda, on July 26, River to River Festival presented We Give Ourselves Away at Every Moment: An EVENT for Merce. Curated/produced by Annie B. Parson and Will Knapp, again in perfect weather, it featured five choreographers’ reflections on Merce’s work. There were no breaks between companies, who performed for relatively brief durations. A musical ensemble sat a stone’s throw away from the square platform; their amplified music accompanied most of the segments.
The program led off with Vicky Schick and Jon Kinzel performing his Drastic Cut and Responsible Ballet (with some citizens’ cheerleading practice going on in the background). As Kinzel lay down and gestured with his hands, Schick sat poised at the edge of the stage (as many others did, for lack of an offstage), watching serenely. When the languidly elegant Schick joined him, she made his pedestrian movement suddenly look dance-y. Susan Marshall’s self-described Quartet with Child was irresistibly sentimental, as the dancers took turns cradling on and offstage an adorable (and well-behaved) baby. Marshall’s knack with laying down a thin but impermeable foundation of drama was effectively deployed here, as was her skill choreographing for small groups.
