Research Catalog

Details

Additional authors

1. Kraft, Susan, 1961-

Description

1. 5 sound cassettes (350 min.) +

Summary

1. Cassette 1. Recorded November 15, 1993. Mr. Komar discusses his role first as Assistant to the Choreographer and later as Assistant Artistic Director of the Merce Cunningham Dance Company; experiences in setting Cunningham's work on other dance companies including Ballet Rambert; the difficulties that ballet companies have with Cunningham's technique and choreography; the Boston Ballet's commission of Breakers; the Cunningham Foundation's Repertory Understudy Group; the qualities necessary for dancing Cunningham's work; issues relating to rhythm and accompaniment; teaching Signals to the White Oak Dance Project; the relationship of dance and music; Komar's creation of Inlets 3; Cunningham's Inlets 2; Cunningham's notation system; Komar's notation of Cunningham's technique classes; his process of teaching repertory; the use of music in rehearsal and in the creative process of Cunningham and composer John Cage.
2. Cassette 2. Recorded November 17, 1993. Mr. Komar discusses his early life; studying music; his family; his period at the University of Wisconsin and as a founding member of the Milwaukee Ballet Company; moving to New York; taking class at the Cunningham studio; joining the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. He describes classes; Cunningham's approach to rhythm; the first piece he performed with the company entitled Landrover; the music of David Tudor; reads Merce Cunningham's definition of Events; describes the preparation and creation of Events; the relationship of Cunningham's choreography to quantum theory and the writings of Buckminster Fuller; Stephen Hawking and Jacob Bronowski; Torse.
3. Cassette 3, side A only. Continuation of discussion on Cassette 2. Brief discussion of the principles of chance; the compact disc entitled The John Cage tribute.
4. Cassette 4. Recorded November 24, 1993. Mr. Komar discusses the revival of Cunningham's Sounddance; the 1970s; the importance of taking ballet class; balance; chance; the unpredictable nature of Cunningham's work; the relationship of Cunningham's work to ideas and life outside the dance world; political issues; Ocean (a work in progress at the time of the interview); the contribution of John Cage to the company; the changing structure of the company; choreographic structure; partnering; Inlets 3, which Komar created on the Repertory Understudy Group using a chance-based restructuring of Cunningham's Inlets and Inlets 2; Cunningham's investigations of time, space and weight changes.
5. Cassette 5. Recorded July 18, 1994. Mr. Komar discusses the unique properties of film and video as opposed to live performance; Westbeth; differences and difficulties in designing primarily for the camera or the stage and then switching; Points in space; Channels/Inserts; Fractions; Cunningham's fascination with the filming process; Torse; Beach birds, for camera; the effect of television and video on culture and dancing; Komar's cable television program, Rhythms in space; coaching Cunningham dancers for videotape.

Alternative title

1. Dance Oral History Project.
2. Dance Audio Archive.

Subject

1. Videodance
2. Cunningham, Merce
3. Milwaukee Ballet Company
4. Channels/Inserts (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
5. Bronowski, Jacob, 1908-1974
6. Quantum theory
7. White Oak Dance Project
8. Beach birds (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
9. Repertory Understudy Group
10. Merce Cunningham Dance Company
11. Merce Cunningham Studio (New York, N.Y.)
12. Points in space (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
13. Inlets 3 (Choreographic work : Komar)
14. Fractions (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
15. Ocean (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
16. Inlets (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
17. Signals (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
18. Westbeth (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
19. Torse (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
20. Sounddance (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
21. Hawking, Stephen, 1942-2018
22. Landrover (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
23. Cage, John
24. Tudor, David, 1926-1996
25. Aleatory music in dance
26. Inlets 2 (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
27. Breakers (Choreographic work : Cunningham)
28. Modern dance > Technique > Cunningham

Call number

1. *MGZTC 3-1823 [sound cassette]

Note

1. Interviewed by Susan Kraft at the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
2. For transcript see: *MGZMT 3-1823.

Access (note)

1. Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Author

1. Komar, Chris. Interviewee

Title

1. Interview with Chris Komar [sound recording]

Imprint

1. 1993-1994.

Restricted access

1. Transcripts may not be photographed or reproduced without permission.

Connect to:

1. Request Access to Special Collections (Dance Division) material

Local subject

1. Aleatory music in dance.

Added author

1. Kraft, Susan, 1961- Interviewer

Research call number

1. *MGZTC 3-1823 [sound cassette]
2. *MGZMT 3-1823 [transcript]