Dancing with Merce Cunningham by Preger-Simon Marianne;

Author:Preger-Simon, Marianne;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Published: 2019-03-20T16:00:00+00:00

27

UPS AND DOWNS OF THE DANCERS

In 1956, Remy’s first book was published. He was both writer and illustrator. It was titled Dress Up and Let’s Have a Party.1 It was a momentous event in his life and therefore in the lives of all of his friends whom he had included in the book. I decided to throw a surprise party for him. All of his friends who were in the book were invited to come in the hilarious costumes he’d illustrated them in. Among those friends were Carolyn, Viola, John Cage, and me. Remy arrived at my apartment door, and when I opened it, dressed exactly as I was in the book, he stared at me and said, “Ohh nooo …,” then came in and was overcome with astonishment, delight, and awe at seeing his book come to life. We had a very lively party, and I took a movie of everyone, posed as they were shown in the book. I still have the movie.

Injury and illness were an inevitable aspect of our lives as dancers. There were constant minor injuries: shin splints, stone bruises on the balls of our feet, split skin, blisters, infections, exhaustion. Here’s a journal entry from November 30, 1957, after a performance at the Academy of Music in Brooklyn: “Viola had left exhausted, after weeping all through. Merce got sick and went home. Bruce disappeared.”

Then there were more serious issues. Just in the years 1957–1958, my journal recorded several illnesses that required time away from dancing. On December 2, 1957: “Viola can’t dance for two months—acute anemia. So, mad rehearsal schedule this week to teach Cynthia [Stone]. Impossible.” But it turned out not to be impossible: December 3—“Rehearsal, teaching Cynthia Labyrinthian. She learns fast.” And December 4—“Rehearsal—Cynthia learned all Labyrinthian and beginning of Septet. Amazing.”

Then, March 5—“Cynthia in bed for ten days from accident. How will we get to North Carolina in twelve days? We’ll see.”

Apparently she made it.

Then Remy’s turn: May 12, 1958—“Remy in hospital after four days with 104 degree temperature and measles spots and real illness.… Made Remy fine book for hospital get well.” May 16—“I went to visit Remy at Manhattan General with cards and flowers from our dance class. We had a lovely hour together. He was feeling somewhat better, growing a beard, hoping to be out on Monday. Had written a beautiful little book about a sinking ship [that little story is part of a book he made later, called Thirteen].2 He was terribly delighted with our book for him, said the drawings were very good.”

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