Six dancers will grace the Jacob’s Pillow stage this week in Three Duets, a series of duets presented in a program honoring Merce Cunningham’s enduring legacy.
The three duets were originally performed as part of a digital program, In Conversation With Merce in 2021. A duet constructed from material from Cunningham’s 1972 piece Landrover was created by former Cunningham company member Jamie Scott and co-produced by the Merce Cunningham Trust and Baryshnikov Arts. Choreographers Liz Gerring and Kyle Abraham each choreographed duets in response.
Merce Cunningham had a rich history with Jacob’s Pillow spanning over half a century. The Merce Cunningham Dance Company visited the Pillow for the first time in July 1955, just two years after the inception of the company. They made their Pillow debut with the work Banjo and Septet. In subsequent years, the company had over 20 engagements with the Pillow over 50 years. Some of these included Nocturnes, which premiered at the Pillow in 1956; Carousel, which was commissioned by Jacob’s Pillow and premiered at Jacob’s Pillow in 1987; Trackers in 1993; Signals in 1995; Rondo in 1997; and Sounddance in 2009, which was the last time Merce Cunningham ever watched his company perform.
Merce Cunningham and Jacob’s Pillow’s histories are intertwined, evidenced in the many dancers who can cite influences from both, such as Carolyn Brown, a Denishawn trained dancer, longtime dance partner of Merce Cunningham, and founding member of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company.
In a similar fashion, Liz Gerring and Kyle Abraham are among the many dancers whose own careers as artists have been colored by both Merce Cunningham and Jacob’s Pillow – Liz Gerring having decided to pursue dance professionally after seeing a Cunningham performance and Kyle Abraham having studied with a former Cunningham company member at school. Gerring and Abraham both return to the Pillow for this conversation with Merce Cunningham (LA Dance Chronicle).
Watch Liz Gerring Dance Company at Jacob’s Pillow in 2015.
Watch A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham at Jacob’s Pillow in 2023.
In 2009, the Merce Cunningham Dance Company performed at Jacob’s Pillow for the last time, in a weeklong engagement celebrating the modern dance pioneer’s 90th birthday and his receipt of the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award. He watched his company perform for the last time on opening night, streamed from Jacob’s Pillow to his laptop in New York. He died three days later on the closing night of his company’s performance. Two years later, his company disbanded per his wishes. But his legacy, impact, and repertory live on, continuing to impact the landscape of Jacob’s Pillow and the greater world of dance.
This Pillow Pick was written by KC Lin and published on July 10, 2024.