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Merce Cunningham

A fascinating and pioneering choreographer who innovated in the world of modern dance in the conceptual, "tinkering" style of 5s. For instance, until Cunningham, dance was set to music. Cunningham tried it the other way around, choreographing and rehearsing a dance in silence, then bringing in an orchestra to accompany the live performance. He was also famous for questioning "What is dance?" — and choreographed pieces in collaboration with experimental composer John Cage such as 4'33", in which the musician is instructed not to play their instrument during each of the 3 "movements" of the piece, and in which the dancer chooses a single position to hold for the duration of each movement.