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Items Merce Cunningham film screening at the Pacific Film Archive

Merce Cunningham film screening at the Pacific Film Archive: with speakers David Vaughan, Merce Cunningham and Elliot Caplan, 1989-09-16

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Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound

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COLLECTION
Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection. Audio materials

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Title
Merce Cunningham film screening at the Pacific Film Archive: with speakers David Vaughan, Merce Cunningham and Elliot Caplan, 1989-09-16
Names
Merce Cunningham Dance Company (Associated name)
Caplan, Elliot (Panelist)
Cunningham, Merce (Panelist)
Kramer, Edith R. (Host)
Vaughan, David, 1924- (Moderator)
Cal Performances (Organization) (Associated name)
Pacific Film Archive (Host)
Collection

Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation Collection. Audio materials

Dates / Origin
Date Created: 1989-09-16
Library locations
Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound
Shelf locator: *LTC-A 1447
Topics
Atlas, Charles
Cunningham, Merce
Merce Cunningham Dance Company
Blue studio (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
Changing steps (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
Story (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
Variations V (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
Choreography
Dance in motion pictures, television, etc
Genres
Panel discussions
Lectures
Notes
Content: Contains a screening of the Merce Cunningham films: Story (1964), Blue studio: five segments (1975), and, Changing steps (1989) at the Pacific Film Archives; includes an introduction lecture by moderator David Vaughan, discussion with panelists Merce Cunningham and Elliot Caplan, and questions from the audience.
Content: Title, dates, speakers, and location provided by cataloger based on handwritten notes on original cassettes and containers, and audition.
Content: Handwritten note on original cassette and container: "Merce Cunningham at Pacific Film Archive 9/16/89".
Venue: Recorded at the Pacific Film Archive in, Berkeley, California, 1989 September 16.
Acquisition: Gift; Merce Cunningham Dance Foundation, 2011-2012.
Physical Description
Audiocassette
Extent: 2 audiocassettes (82 minutes total) : analog
Sound quality is good.
Description
Streaming file 1, side a: Edith Kramer, director of the Pacific Film Archive, introduces the evening, ca. 0:00-2:47; moderator David Vaughan introduces Merce Cunningham, his works on camera, and the film screenings, ca. 2:56-17:15; topics include: the inspiration of Fred Astaire films on young Cunningham, the collaboration between Charles Atlas and Cunningham for dance on camera projects, Cunningham's experiments in translating his choreography from stage to screen, Cunningham's approach to creating Story (1964), introductions to the evening's screenings: Story (1964), Blue studio: five segments (1975), and, Changing steps (1989); screening of Story including Vaughan's comments, ca. 17:30-37:20; [recording break, ca. 38:23]; panelists Cunningham and Elliot Caplan join Vaughan after the screenings of Blue studio (1975) and Changing steps (1989); Cunningham speaks about creating and filming Blue studio with Atlas, ca. 39:20-45:19; Vaughan asks Caplan about Changing steps, ends abruptly; other works mentioned: Assemblage (1968), Walkaround time (1972), Fractions (1977 and 1978), Locale (1977), Channels/Inserts (1982), Coast zone (1982), and Points in space (1986). Streaming file 2, side b: Begins abruptly; Elliot Caplan and Merce Cunningham continue to speak with moderator David Vaughan, ca. 0:00-21:20; topics include: the two locations for the filming of Changing steps (1989), the indeterminate choreographic structure of Changing steps, Cunningham speaks about camera angles and frame sizes in relationship to capturing dance on camera, transferring dance from the camera to the stage, creating depth of field within the camera shot, Cunningham's experiments in movement captured on camera; audience question and answer period, ca. 21:20-35:17; topics include: the time frame structure that Cunningham uses within his choreography, how each dancers' movement sequences relate to one another and are independent from music, the reason that Cunningham selected Changing steps from his repertory to film, difficulties in projecting video during live dance performances, Cunningham speaks briefly about the media based production aspects of his Variations V (1965); Edith Kramer thanks the panelists, ca. 35:18-36:10.
Type of Resource
Sound recording
Languages
English
Identifiers
RLIN/OCLC: 914473747
NYPL catalog ID (B-number): b20750211
Universal Unique Identifier (UUID): 3c2a7900-b906-0133-82ea-60f81dd2b63c
Rights Statement
This item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).

Item timeline of events

  • 1989: Created
  • 2024: Found by you!
  • 2025

MLA Format

Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, The New York Public Library. "Merce Cunningham film screening at the Pacific Film Archive" The New York Public Library Digital Collections. 1989. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/584f8940-b906-0133-4aef-60f81dd2b63c

Chicago/Turabian Format

Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, The New York Public Library. "Merce Cunningham film screening at the Pacific Film Archive" New York Public Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 26, 2024. https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/584f8940-b906-0133-4aef-60f81dd2b63c

APA Format

Rodgers and Hammerstein Archives of Recorded Sound, The New York Public Library. (1989). Merce Cunningham film screening at the Pacific Film Archive Retrieved from https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/584f8940-b906-0133-4aef-60f81dd2b63c

Wikipedia Citation

<ref name=NYPL>{{cite web | url=https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/584f8940-b906-0133-4aef-60f81dd2b63c | title= (sound recording) Merce Cunningham film screening at the Pacific Film Archive, (1989)|author=Digital Collections, The New York Public Library |accessdate=April 26, 2024 |publisher=The New York Public Library, Astor, Lenox, and Tilden Foundations}}</ref>

Merce Cunningham film screening at the Pacific Film Archive