There are not enough words to describe the level of excitement (and respect) generated by the upcoming visit of the mythological dance troupe to Jerusalem.
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Following Cunningham’s final instructions, the Company embarked on its final world-wide Legacy Tour before disbanding. The Jerusalem Season of Culture, in collaboration with the Israel Festival and the renewed Israel Museum, is delighted to join leading international culture capitals in hosting these seminal performances.
The Jewel in the crown, without a doubt, is the site-specific "Events" created by Merce especially for museum spaces. Dancers and musicians perform live next to and in dialogue with canonic pieces exhibited in the museum; offering a one-time-only and highly personali experience.
The "Events" include select elements of the company's repertoire, are accompanied by live music, as well as stage-sets and costumes from different productions. The "Events" generate an unusual closeness between dancers audience, which adds a refreshing dimension of intimacy.
This will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience which is both exciting and personalized. The audience accompanies the troupe on a journey whose only certainty is the starting point. The "Events" at the Israel Museum will be the company's last ever— undoubtedly, a defining moment in the history of dance.
Artistic Director, Jerusalem Season of Culture: Itay Mautner
Project Coordinator: Tal Harari
We invite you to join MerceCampus events, which will take place during Under the Mountain - A New Public Art Festival
Events – Merce Cunningham at the Israel Museum
June 9 at 19:00, 21:00
June 10 at 14:00, 16:00
June 11 at 22:30
The performance will include a special tour of artworks in the museum that relate directly to the performance itself. The tour will be led by Trevor Carlson, the company's Executive Director and close friend of Merce. The "Events" themselves will move around the museum. Anyone attending should be prepared for walking and an extended period of standing.
Family Days: Inspired by Merce Cunningham
6,7 June, 10:30, 12:00
Israel Museum
A special event, Israel Festival: A dance-movement workshop for children and their families
The workshop will be led by Kevin Taylor, Director of The Merce Cunningham Company, New York. Participants will create their own dance Events, based on their personal impressions of the museum's exhibitions.
Split Sides // Sounddance
June 6 , 21:00
The Sherover Theatre at the Jerusalem Theatre
Split Sides, created by Cunningham in 2003, brings to the stage an elegant take on the element of chance in the artist's work. This pioneering concept entails choosing the order of the selections, the music and the costumes. These choices are made by tossing two dice, thus ensuring a nearly new show every time. The performance is accompanied by a soundtrack by two high-profile 20th century bands: Radiohead and Sigur Ros
Split Sides will be followed by a performance of Sounddance. The name was inspired by a quote from the James Joyce novel, Finnegan's Wake, "In the beginning was the Sounddance." Originally part of Cunningham's "Events," it later became an independent production. In 1975, Cunningham described Sounddance as being full of vitality, fast and energetic; all the dancers remain on-stage from beginning to end for an intimate and highly refreshing experience.
