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The Avant-Garde Conundrum
- Wesleyan University Press
- Chapter
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TheAvant-Garde Conundrum The 1950sbrought significantchangesto concert dance in America. Members of the Dance Panel were in a quandary as they struggled with the new body of work emerging from the studios of the most talented and interesting of the young generation of choreographers. Because the panelists often found it difficult to accept this work, they frequently refused to sponsor it abroad. Many feared that sending these choreographers abroad as cultural representatives would elicit a negative response. The issue arose early in the Panel's history. In February 1955, Merce Cunningham was presented to the Dance Panel as part of a package approved by the Music Panel for a tour with composers John Cage and David Tudor who would be playing their own work. The minutes indicate that the Merce CunninghamatJacob's Pillow, 1955.Photo response of the Dance Panel was clearly neg- byJohn Lindquist. Courtesy of the Harvard Theatre ative: Collection, The Houghton Library. The Music Panel has a ~ ~ r o v e d the musicians. , I but the Dance Panel felt that it is too avant- ! garde and controversial. We would have to . . i - s r l prepare the field for this type of entertain- . . - ? ment. Perhaps after the first attractions go 1 .. - , . ., abroad this would be more suitable. The r - . -. I .. Music Panel felt it would be fine for the Ori- I " I ent, and Mr. Faine said that the people in the I Orient would see and hear more in this music I than would the Western World. Mr. Kirstein I I felt that the company was boring. The opinion of the Panel was that this could not be recommended for touring for at least a year.' The following month, the Panel considered an appeal from John Cage. There is no indication that Cage appeared in person; most likely he voiced his complaint in a written rebuttal. The minutes recorded: "Mr. Cage does not want to go as a separate music project, but with the Merce Cunningham dance group." Kirstein felt the Cunningham i group "would have considerable success in [ 54 / T H E AVANT-GARDE C O N U N D R U M avant-garde groups in Germany, France, Italy and Japan." The Panel recommended that "we consider them to go only to Japan and India to play for intellectual groups where they have been requested. This discussion will be deferred to a future meeting." At the next Panel meeting, Virgil Thomson came in person to present the majority views of the Music Panel. He reported that Cunningham had engagements in India, Ceylon, and Thailand, and the potential for dates in Indonesia. The company had also been invited by universities and dance groups "in an interchange of ideas on an educational and participational basis, something which many of the groups could not do. This would be 'intellectual and artistic fraternization."' Thomson told the Dance Panel that the Cage project would not "interfere with Martha Graham as it is not the same thing." He said that Cage knew what the project would cost "and could raise a good part of it himself if ANTA will accept it artistically." Lincoln Kirstein "felt that since they have so many bona fide invitations, he does not see what reason we can give for refusing our help. Aside from the way the Panel feels about Merce Cunningham's dancing, perhaps the Orient would like it."2 Panelist Martha Hill was very much against sending Cunningham abroad and voiced her opinion in no uncertain terms: Miss Hill felt that people who see Merce who have not seen Martha will have a strange idea about American dance. John Cage is more representative as a musician than Merce is as a dancer. He is "way out on the fringes of American dance," and is confusing and abstract. Three or four other companies would be more interesting and more representative. The discussion at the October meeting about the Cage-Cunningham project had negative undertones throughout. Doris Humphrey feared that sending them would set a bad precedent-"that anyone who is energetic enough to go ahead and get bookings will get the okay from us. Many people would do this; however, it is not a good idea to send someone in whom we do not believe." She suggested that if a project involved two panels, representatives should get together for a review and then provide an answer. Since the Music Panel had already approved the project, "it was suggested that the entire project be...