Is it Possible? [installment two]

Pulse's Associate Artistic Director Walter Barillas continues sharing his experiences in Washington with Merce Cunningham Dance Company.

I arrived in Seattle the afternoon of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company’s (MCDC) first program and made my way to my friend Jackie-Lou’s doorstep. She fed me a delicious vegetarian meal and a nice glass of wine before we made our way to the Paramount Theatre. But first, before I continue with this, I must digress and share something I observed earlier in the day.

As I sat on the LINK train from SeaTac to Downtown Seattle I overheard a conversation between a young couple and an older woman. Something about the lady that had me intrigued, perhaps it was the amount of energy and mental acuity she harnessed, and then it hit like a comet! I heard her tell the couple that she had arrived in Seattle to see MCDC’s performance and that she followed them around to various performances. My eyes and ears perked up and I knew that when I ran in to her I’d introduce myself and I’d share this vignette. Little did I know that meeting her less than 24 hours later and sharing a significant amount of time with her would be the highlight of my trip. More on this to come.

In the last installment I mentioned that MCDC is to dissolve January 1, 2012. If you’ve questioned why this might be, I have some insight.

Merce Cunningham decided that upon his death,  his Company was to disband after a two-year legacy tour. This is unlike other dance companies that have continued after the central figure’s death, like the Martha Graham Dance Company or the Limon/Humphrey Dance Company. The difference between  those two and MCDC is that MCDC is not a repertory company, meaning that MCDC only performs work by Cunningham while the others may perform works by outside choreographers. A two-year Legacy Tour, two-year severance package for dancers, staff and artists, and aide to incumbents for their career transitions were a few of the things Cunningham set up for the existing company after his death.

Now that you’ve gained a little insight into MCDC, its choreographer,  its significance in the Arts World and my interest in the work, the next installments will cover what I witnessed during my Cunningham/Halloween weekend in Seattle.

Stay tuned for more!