Biped and Chance Method Response

Winter Abbott

2/20/13

Choreography I

Biped and Chance Method Response

The experiences with learning the chance method with Banu Ogun, and watching the dance film “Biped” taught me many different aspects about choreography. Watching “Biped” by Merce Cunningham made me think about all aspects of the performance, such as lighting and production, not just the movement. The movement was enhanced in by the way the lighting was designed and also the music, combining all of those different parts of the piece into one experience that I could pick apart and look at the different aspects individually but also appreciate and value the work as a whole. Cunningham added many layers to “Biped” such as the computerized light images that were projected on to a scrim in front of the dancers, as well as the costuming and set design. The movement was varied between jumps, spins, and a few sustained movements, but it was very complex and specific. Merce Cunningham references 4 discoveries that his work should viewed by. The first is the separation of music and the dance, the second is the use of chance operations, the third is the possibility that film and video can provide, and the fourth and last is the experimentation of computer technology. All four of these breakthroughs can be seen in “Biped.” In the work, Cunningham places the music over the dancer’s movement as a layer, but not necessarily separate. The complex movement does not follow any specific cues in the music but both make a point of blending together in a way that makes sense. The chance operations that Cunningham uses gives the movement a range in which it should be executed and also contributes to each dancers individuality as they perform the complex movement. The piece is film straight from the front, but does take time to film up close on dancer’s