The long-awaited memoir from one of the most celebrated modern dancers of the past fifty years: the story of her own remarkable career; of the formative years of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company; and of the two brilliant; iconoclastic; and forward-thinking artists at its centermdash;Merce Cunningham and John Cage. From its inception in the l950s until her departure in the l970s; Carolyn Brown was a major dancer in the Cunningham company and part of the vibrant artistic community of downtown New York City out of which it grew. She writes about embarking on her career with Cunningham at a time when he was a celebrated performer but a virtually unknown choreographer. She describes the heady exhilarationmdash;and dire financial straitsmdash;of the companyrsquo;s early days; when composer Cage was musical director and Robert Rauschenberg designed lighting; sets and costumes; and of the struggle for acceptance of their controversial; avant-garde dance. With unique insight; she explores Cunninghamrsquo;s technique; choreography; and experimentation with compositional procedures influenced by Cage. And she probes the personalities of these two men: the reticent; moody; often secretive Cunningham; and the effusive; fun-loving; enthusiastic Cage. Chance and Circumstance is an intimate chronicle of a crucial era in modern dance; and a revelation of the intersection of the worlds of art; music; dance; and theater that is Merce Cunninghamrsquo;s extraordinary hallmark.From the Hardcover edition.
#1691128 in eBooks 2009-12-18 2009-12-23File Name: B000SEICNK
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Idyllic Days Of Arthurian LaysBy Debora GauI could gladly "idle" away the hours reading this excellent piece by Alfred; Lord Tennyson; which captures all the romance and spirit of the "dayes of olde when knights were bolde"! "Idylls Of The King"; in particular with the classic Dore illustrations; hearkens us back to the grand Arthurian days; which should be mandatory reading for any student interested in the classical studies of the tales of the Middle Ages "and before"! Gustave Dore illustrates like no other; and this is a volume everyone with similar interests should read! He puts the spirit in the heart; and your heart into the time of which he illustrates!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Beautiful Idylls IllustrationsBy James G. Bruen Jr.Gustave Dore illustrated early versions of four of Tennysons Idylls (Enid; Guinevere; Elaine; and Vivien); not all of the Idylls. This inexpensive volume beautifully reproduces Dores 36 illustrations of those four Idylls. Almost without exception; they capture the spirit of the relevant passage in the Idyll and add to its appreciation. Its a shame Dore never illustrated the remaining Idylls.Each illustration is preceded by a page of introductory text and a quotation from the Idyll so that you can understand the illustration without having the complete Idyll before you; or indeed without having read the Idyll. The text and selected quotations are so appropriate that; reading them in sequence; you get a feel for or synopsis of the entire Idyll and the story it tells; though; of course; the Idylls themselves are more intricate and detailed.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Great addition to my collectionBy AurexiaI already own a series of the Dore art books (printed by the same publishers) and love the art that accompanies the stories. This recent purchase was a gift but I was even more surprised by the level of story that came with the art. If you are a Dore fan then this will make for a great addition to your collection.