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Martha Cunningham's One-Act Ballets as an Example of Postmodern Choreography

Martha Cunningham's One-Act Ballets as an Example of Postmodern Choreography

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Keywords: Merce Cunningham, postmodern choreography, one-act ballets, dance and chance, John Cage, independence of music and dance, method of chance, experimental choreography, autonomy of movements, innovations in dance, spatial composition, dance avant-garde, technologies in choreography, deconstruction of form, choreographic structure

Available in the on-line version with: 30.06.2025

To cite this article

Moiseev E.S. Martha Cunningham's One-Act Ballets as an Example of Postmodern Choreography. // Theory and History of Art. 2025. N 2, p.177–195 https://doi.org/10.24412/2411-0795-2025-2-177-195.

Сreative Commons Atribiution - NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
This work is licensed under a Сreative Commons Atribiution - NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
N 2, 2025

Abstract

The article is devoted to the study of Merce Cunningham's one-act ballets as unique examples of postmodern choreography in which traditional ideas about dance are reinterpreted. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the key characteristics of his work: the autonomy of movement from music, the rejection of narrative and linear drama, as well as the use of the method of chance. Cunningham overcame classical ideas about the synchronicity of music and dance, creating ballets where each of the expressive means (movement, sound, set design) existed independently, but interacted within the framework of a common artistic idea. One-act ballets such as "RainForest" (1968) and "BIPED" (1999) are considered in the article as important examples of Cunningham's innovative approach to the organization of space and time, as well as to interaction with technology, including the use of video projections and computer simulation of movements. The article highlights the importance of Cunningham's one-act ballets as a phenomenon that not only changed the way people viewed dance in the 20th century, but also influenced modern choreographic practices. The work is of interest to dance researchers, scholars focused on cultural studies, and anyone investigating postmodern art.

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