简介：Firstcomposedandperformedin1965,VariationsVisatruetestamentto1960'sexperimentswith"intermedia"—acoexistenceandcuttingacrossofartisticgenresthatprofoundlyinformedCunningham'schoreographicpractice.Videoismateriallyintegratedintotheperformance,withprojectionsbyStanVanDerBeekandoverlaidTVdistortionsbyNamJunePaikenvelopingthedancers.Twelvesound-sensitiveelectronicpolesdotthestage;soundistriggeredbythedancers'movementsandthenalteredordelayedbythemusicians.VariationsVpredatesCunningham's"video-dances,"demonstratingadifferentmomentinhisrelationtothetechnology. Akindofexplicit,corporealengagementwithvideoasmediumisreflectedintheperformance'ssoundcomponent.Sound,likevideo,existsinthisdancevisuallyandevenkinetically.Theviewerofthis1966archivalperformancegainsaccesstothelocusofsoundproduction,seeingJohnCageandDavidTudorperchedoverawidespreadofelectronicequipment.Cunninghampaysattentiontothemusicians'movementsinhis1968bookChanges:NotesonChoreography,their"constantscuttling"moving"backandforthontheplatformtofixthings,wiringthatcameout,aplug,etc."Theperformancemovesdialecticallybetweenitsphenomenologicalwholeandthe"varied"elementsofsound,videoanddancethatconstituteit. UnlikemostofCageandCunningham'scollaborations,soundandmovementaremoretechnicallycodependentthanautonomousinVariationsV.CunninghamwritesinChanges,"Johndecidedtofindoutiftheremightnotbewaysthatsoundcouldbeaffectedbymovement,andheandDavidTudorproceededtofindoutthattherewere." Thetwelvefive-foothigh,antennae-likepoleseachhaveafour-footsphericalsoundradiustoproducesoundasdancersenterit.Tofurther"vary"thecomposition,eachantennaproducedadifferentsound.BillyKlüverofBellLaboratoriesdevisedthesecondsoundsource,whichentailedphoto-electriccellsatthebottomofthepoles,whichtriggersoundasdancers'shadowsinterrupttheirlightsource.Cunninghamlikenstheprocesstodoorsopeningatasupermarketinturn,deemphasizingthecollaborationbetweendanceandsound.Hecommentshow"thedancerstriggeredasoundbutthekindofasound,howlongitmightbe,orthePOSSIBLEREPETITIONOFITWASCONTROL-ledbythemusicians,"withtheiroscillators,short-waveradiosandtaperecorders.Nevertheless,thecompositionforVariationsVwaswrittenonlyafteritsfirstperformance,thedancers'movementleavinganindelibleimprintonthesound. Cunningham'snon-narrative,anti-psychologicalfocuson"danceitself"imposesarelationofkineticimmediacybetweenthedancersandtheirenvironment.Thereistheactualdocumentationoftheperformanceandthenthereisthevideothatconstitutestheperformance,whichinitselfvariesinitsapproach.VanDerBeekandPaikusevideodifferentlyinVariationsV,whilebothprovidingbackgrounds,andattimessuperimposedforegrounds,tothedancers'movement.VanDerBeekprojectsimagessourcedfrompopularculturealongsiderehearsalfootageofthedancersmadeinCunningham'sstudio.Inhismontage,VanDerBeeksetsupacomparisonbetweenCunningham'sdanceandothersocio-historicallegaciesofmovement,includingfactorypiecework,fishing,cartoons,womenapplyingmakeupandairtravel.Hehistoricallycontextualizesthedancebyplacingitoutsideofitskineticimmediacyasanimageofmovementamongmany.Atthesametime,VanDerBeekcelebratesCunningham'screativeabilitytomovetowardsanunmediatedmovementandtooperateinthemoment.Inhiswave-likeabstractTVdistortions,PaikembracesthekineticimmediacyofCunninghamandCage'scompositions.LikethesubjectiveremoveCunninghamarticulatedthroughdance'smovement,PaiksawhisTVmanipulationsas,"NOTtheexpressionofmypersonality,butmerelyPHYSICALMUSIC,"ashedescribedtoCharlotteMoormanin1974.WhereasVanDerBeekcomplicatesthedance'spurelykineticpresence,Paik'svideosupturnhistoricalimageryinfavoroficonoclasm. WhileexplicitinvocationsofMarcelDuchampareseeninworkssuchasWalkaroundTime(1968),CunninghamsubtlyinterweavesDuchampianthemesintoVariationsV,throughwhathecalls"non-dance"activities.Inhis2000article"TheReadymadeasMovement"forRes38,danceprofessorandauthorMarkFrankoconceptuallylinksCunningham'sinterestinpedestrianmovementtotheDuchampianreadymadebyarguing"thatbodiesinordinarymotionaredancereadymades."Examplesof"non-dance"activitiesinVariationsVincludeCunninghampottingalargeplantandhavingCarolynBrownsmashthepot,onlytore-potit.BarbaraLloydputsatowelonherheadandthenperformsaheadstandasGusSolomonsrocksherbodybackandforth.Boththetowelandpothadmicrophonesattachedtothem,sothatanymovementswouldproducesound.Towardstheendofthedance,thedancerspulloutaspoolofwhitethreadtoconnectthem.ThisgesturecitesDuchamp's1942installation,MileofString,inwhichhemadeanunwieldywebofstringthroughoutaSurrealistpaintingexhibitionrestrictingthemovementofexhibition-goers.ThedanceendsasCunninghamridesabicycleacrossthestage,puttingbacktouseDuchamp'sinfamousfirstreadymade. VariationsVissimultaneouslyanhomageandrevisiontothismodernistlegacy,infusedasitiswithboththeimmediacyofmovementanditsconceptualtensionswithvideo. Choreography:MerceCunningham.Music:JohnCage,"VariationsV."DistortionofTVimages:NamJunePaik.Filmimages:StanVanDerBeek.ProducedbyStudioHamburg,NordeutscherRundfunk.…