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Page Four, PHOENIXCunningham at BAM:i __: ___i c ____L V U l u i il v e n t SBY JUDITH SCHMUKLEREach time 1 see Merce Cunningham anti Dance Companyl>erform, I am left with either onedefinite reaction or something akinto its opposite: frustration andanger or fascination and absorption. Happily, the company%u2019sopening night (March 22) at theBrooklyn Academy of Musiclargely fulfilled the latter expectation,Merce Cunningham has longbeen lauded as the major avantgarde choreographer in themodern dance world. While mostdancers experiment with theirbody weight, with gravity andbalance in the privacy of theirstudios, Cunningham, as anillustration of his unorthodoxy,examines these concepts on stage.He publicly takes a movementand works it to each end of itsspectrum. He gets involved notonly with the above-mentionedfactors but also momentum,timing, direction, range andtransitions. He carries asymmetryto its limit and then instantlymakes the movement becomesomething else. His style is absolutely non-narrative; his qualityis more often lyrical then not.This is in marked contrast to hismusical accompaniment, by artists such as John Cage and GordonMurnma, consisting of electronicsounds, orchestrated percussionand voices, usually performed live.His collaboration with such artistsas Jasper Johns and Frank Stellafurther substantiates his placeamong the avant-garde artists ofour time.Merce Cunningham and Company presented, as billed, fourunique events, numbered 65through 68, one each performanceon March 22 through March 25.With one exception, each eventconsisted of three or four individual works, performed with nointermission. This seems to be arecent trend in experimentaltheatre, one which this reviewerfinds somewhat tedious. By thetime the last dance got under way,which I considered the weakest,the audience began to show signs ofsome discomfort.Event 65 opened with %u201cSignals,%u201da delightful study of responses tomany kinds of stimuli: physical,emotional, verbal, non-verbal,sound, weight, force. In its exploration, %u201cSignals%u201d was visuallypleasing, humorous and daring.The second piece, a premiere call%u201cChanging Steps,%u201d demonstratedCunningham%u2019s facility in workingwith individuals and groups in aconstant state of flux. The richnessof color in the leotards worn verydefinitely enhanced the essentialdetails of his work.As a whole, the members of thecompany are technically gooddancers and good performers ofthe Cunningham technique.However, Merce Cunninghamhimself is easily the most excitingperformer to see. By exciting I donot mean flamboyant; he is almostcompletely subtle in his efforts. HisCUNNINGHAM AT ST. ANN'S: The Merce Cunningham Dancers gave a preview performance at St. Ann's School on March 15.carriage, his focus, his transitionsfrom one direction, one level or onetone to another are indeed extraordinary, as exemplified in hissolo, %u201cLoops.%u201d He has the unlikelycombination of the softness andforce of a big cat but with none ofthe wariness. He possesses alooseness, almost casual, thatcomes only with the greatestcontrol, in both his performing andhis choreography.He CallsCouncilman Fred Richmond today called on Mayor Lindsay to, %u201c Undertake an immediate expansion of the City%u2019s high intensity lighting program to include installation of the new lighting in all of Brooklyn%u2019s Parks.Richmond who is also Chairman of the Brooklyn Citizens Park Council said that, %u201c Installation of new lighting in Brooklyn Parks is long overdue. In many cases the wattage is low and ineffective.%u201dr a i mmm $mmEat Drink & Be Merry