What gives the work of Merce Cunningham its thrill? Why does watching it feel, at times, as if you’re standing at the edge of a precipice? While the rest of the monthlong festival highlights his descendants — artists who danced for him and went on to make their own work — Friday’s “Feast of Cunningham” sampled his vast repertory, bringing together seasoned Cunningham dancers with newcomers to his oeuvre. And on this program, it spiked when Melissa Toogood — a member of the Cunningham company’s final generation — shared the stage with the American Ballet Theater soloist Calvin Royal III. But it was Ms. Toogood and Mr. Royal, in a couple of too-fleeting duets, who most embodied a sense of transcending the impossible.

Source: New York Times March 03, 2019 18:45 UTC