MerceDay 5: The soloist jumping at Black Mountain College

Merce Day 4. This 1953/1953 photograph of Merce Cunningham dancing at Black Mountain College was taken by Hazel Larsen Archer in 1952/1953. It captures the two most exceptional features of his dancing: his long and powerful neck, and the easy height of his jump. (Look at that shadow.)

In both respects, he had already made people think of the legendary Vaslav Nijinsky. The Nijinsky connection, first invoked by John Cage before they were lovers, mattered to the highly sane Cunningham: he used Nijinsky ideas in his choreography until at least the 1980s.

Friday 16 April