Merce Cunningham/ Ballet Rambert

Vienna, June 1964. Merce Cunningham staged the first of his now legendary Events. Around the world, each combining dance, music and design was presented in a way that was unique to that location, and that performance. These Events became the choreographer’s signature works, demonstrating his revolutionary approach to performance-making.

Fifty years after the first Event, and five years after the choreographer’s death, the Rambert Event was created in 2014. This event featured extracts from pieces of Cunningham’s choreography that have previously appeared in Rambert’s repertory, arranged and staged by Jeannie Steele, his former dancer and rehearsal assistant. The specially commissioned score is by Philip Selway (of Radiohead), Quinta and Adem Ilhan. The set and costumes are based on the Cage series of paintings by world-famous artist Gerhard Richter.