Merce Cunningham

Q: Did Merce Cunningham win any awards?

Cunningham received numerous awards throughout his career, including a Guggenheim Fellowship and the National Medal of Arts in 1990, recognizing his contributions to modern dance.

Q: What was Merce Cunningham's first major performance?

Cunningham's first major performance was in 1944 with the Martha Graham Dance Company. This experience set the stage for his later development as a choreographer and performer.

Q: What are some of Merce Cunningham's most successful works?

Some of Cunningham's most successful works include 'Variations V,' 'Biped,' and 'Moon Is the Oldest TV,' each showcasing his innovative integration of technology and movement.

Q: What was Merce Cunningham's personal life like?

Merce Cunningham was known for his private nature. He had a long-term partnership with composer John Cage, and he remained dedicated to his art throughout his life, rarely discussing his personal affairs publicly.

Q: What is Merce Cunningham's estimated net worth?

Merce Cunningham's estimated net worth at the time of his passing was approximately 5 million USD, reflecting his successful career in dance and choreography.

Q: What are some milestones in Merce Cunningham's filmography?

Milestones in Cunningham's filmography include his appearances in 'Moon Is the Oldest TV' and documentaries that showcase his unique approach to dance, highlighting his influence on the art form.

Q: How did Merce Cunningham influence modern dance?

Cunningham influenced modern dance by introducing chance operations and integrating multimedia into performances, shaping the evolution of contemporary dance and inspiring future generations of artists.

Known for

Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV poster

Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV (2023)

2023 / Documentary / 107mins

The quixotic journey of Nam June Paik, one of the most famous Asian artists of the 20th century, who revolutionized the use of technology...

Name

Merce Cunningham

Height

5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)

Born

16 April 1919, Centralia, Washington, USA

Spouses

Name (1944–1956)

Children

None

Parents

Mabel Cunningham, William Cunningham

Estimated Net Worth

5 million USD

Year	Title	Character	Rating
2026	Movie Nova '78 Resurrected through UK-led archival restoration NOVA 78' shows never-before-seen footage of the legendary Nova Convention where William Burroughs, Patti Smith,...	Self (archive footage)	Not rated
2023	Movie Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV The quixotic journey of Nam June Paik, one of the most famous Asian artists of the 20th century, who revolutionized...	Self (archive footage)	TMDB 6.8 / 10
2019	Movie Cunningham The iconic Merce Cunningham and the last generation of his dance company is profiled in Alla Kovgan's 3D documentary, through...	Archival Footage	TMDB 6.5 / 10
2011	Movie Loops A portrait of Merce Cunningham.	Unknown character	Not rated
2001	Movie Merce Cunningham: A Lifetime of Dance A history of the work of Merce Cunningham.	Self	TMDB 10.0 / 10
1993	Movie Sistine Chapel Sistine Chapel is an audio-visual collage of new footage and samples from Paik’s past videos, which featured many of his...	Self	Not rated
1990	Movie John Cage: I Have Nothing to Say and I Am Saying It This 56-minute documentary on America's most controversial and unique composer manages to cover a great many aspects of Cage's work...	Self	Not rated
1987	Movie Points in Space A 1987 short film from acclaimed dance choreographer Merce Cunningham.	Self	Not rated
1985	Movie All Star Video A compilation of avant-garde artwork and talent of the mid to late 20th century hosted by Ryuichi Sakamoto.	Self (archive footage)	TMDB 6.5 / 10
1984	Movie Good Morning, Mr. Orwell In his book "1984", George Orwell saw the television of the future as a control instrument in the hands of...	Self	TMDB 8.1 / 10
1979	Movie Robert Rauschenberg: Retrospective This film includes important examples of the Robert Rauschenberg's diverse and extraordinary accomplishments, tracing his development from his student years...	Self	Not rated
1978	TV The Kennedy Center Honors The Kennedy Center Honors is an annual honor given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions...	Self	TMDB 7.4 / 10
1978	Movie Merce by Merce by Paik Merce by Merce by Paik is a two-part tribute to choreographer Merce Cunningham and artist Marcel Duchamp. The first section,...	Unknown character	TMDB 6.5 / 10
1973	Movie Walkaround Time	Unknown character	Not rated
1968	Movie Assemblage A feature length film from acclaimed dance choreographer Merce Cunningham.	Unknown character	TMDB 5.0 / 10
1968	Movie 498 Third Avenue Observational documentary about the Merce Cunningham Dance Company rehearsing throughout the summer of 1967 in New York.	Self	TMDB 8.0 / 10
1966	Movie John Cage Experimental composer John Cage tours Europe with The Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 1966.	Unknown character	TMDB 7.0 / 10
1966	Movie Variations V A multi-media event with choreographed dance, mobile decor, variable lighting, multiple film projection, and live-electronic music activated by the dancers'...	Self	Not rated
1964	Movie Night Wandering Paradoxically described by Walter Sorell as "a tender lullaby of love" and by Richard Buckle as "cold and menacing, the...	Dancer	Not rated
1964	Movie Antic Meet Performed like a series of vaudeville scenes that overlap, Antic Meet consists of ten playful and comedic numbers. The curtains...	Dancer	Not rated
1962	Movie Merce Cunningham The choreographer Merce Cunningham working with the musician John Cage and the painter Robert Rauschenberg.	Self	Not rated
1944	Movie Appalachian Spring A multi-character dance drama. A newlywed pioneer couple, guided by a reverent Revivalist and the wise Pioneer Woman, joyously celebrate...	The Preacher	TMDB 6.0 / 10
TBA	Movie Exchange Atlas' 2013 film Exchange is based on the 1978 dance piece of the same name by legendary dancer/choreographer Merce Cunningham....	Unknown character	Not rated

Year	Title	Role	Rating
2023	Movie August Pace 1989-2019 Thirty years after the world premiere of legendary choreographer Merce Cunningham's August Pace, the original cast members gather in a...	Choreographer Crew	Not rated
2010	Movie Ocean John Cage’s original concept of Ocean, in 1991, was for a dance to be performed in a circular space, with...	Choreographer Crew	TMDB 5.5 / 10
1992	Movie Beach Birds for Camera Cunningham said of his choreography for "Beach Birds", “It is all based on individual physical phrasing. The dancers don’t have...	Choreographer Crew	TMDB 8.0 / 10
1987	Movie Points in Space A 1987 short film from acclaimed dance choreographer Merce Cunningham.	Writer Writing	Not rated
1987	Movie Points in Space A 1987 short film from acclaimed dance choreographer Merce Cunningham.	Director Directing	Not rated
1984	Movie Coast Zone Coast Zone […] explores the use of deep-focus, contrasting background figures (often in motion) with those in the foreground (sometimes...	Choreographer Crew	Not rated
1981	Movie Channels/Inserts This work was a dance shot for film at the Cunningham studio. Staging for Channels/Inserts was divided among the main...	Choreographer Crew	Not rated
1980	Movie Locale Locale was designed to explore the possibilities of moving cameras and moving dancers in a film. Filmed at the Merce...	Choreographer Crew	Not rated
1976	Movie Merce by Merce by Paik Part One: Blue Studio: Five Segments 1975-1976 Blue Studio: Five Segments is a groundbreaking work of videodance by postmodern master Merce Cunningham and his then filmmaker-in-residence, Charles...	Director Directing	Not rated
1975	Movie Westbeth “Westbeth” was Cunningham’s first video collaboration with Charles Atlas, and the first video project to be made at the Merce...	Director Directing	Not rated
1973	Movie Walkaround Time	Choreographer Crew	Not rated
1968	Movie Assemblage A feature length film from acclaimed dance choreographer Merce Cunningham.	Choreographer Crew	TMDB 5.0 / 10
1966	Movie Variations V A multi-media event with choreographed dance, mobile decor, variable lighting, multiple film projection, and live-electronic music activated by the dancers'...	Choreographer Crew	Not rated
1964	Movie Night Wandering Paradoxically described by Walter Sorell as "a tender lullaby of love" and by Richard Buckle as "cold and menacing, the...	Director Directing	Not rated
1964	Movie Antic Meet Performed like a series of vaudeville scenes that overlap, Antic Meet consists of ten playful and comedic numbers. The curtains...	Choreographer Crew	Not rated
TBA	Movie Changing Steps Merce Cunningham choreographed “Changing Steps” in 1973. In its original form “Changing Steps” consisted of a solo dance for each...	Director Directing	TMDB 8.0 / 10
TBA	Movie BIPED The décor for BIPED is an exploration into the possibilities of motion capture technology. The movements (but not the physical...	Choreographer Crew	Not rated

Nova '78

2026

Nam June Paik: Moon Is the Oldest TV

2023 / TMDB 6.8

Cunningham

2019 / TMDB 6.5

Loops

2011