Merce Cunningham Dance Company Pre-concert Talk with Karen Eliot and David Covey

Both these distinguished members of Ohio State’s top-rated Department of Dance faculty enjoyed stints working with Merce Cunningham Dance Company. Come to the concert early to hear their remembrances of experiences with the company and insights into Cunningham’s work and legacy.

Karen Eliot danced with Merce Cunningham Dance Company from 1983 to 1988 (after beginning as an understudy in 1982), with many highlights including the Cage/Cunningham collaboration Roaratorio, and the film projects Coast Zone and Points in Space. She also traveled with the company on extensive international tours. Her teaching at Ohio State focuses on dance history, ballet, and modern dance. She is the author of Dancing Lives: Five Female Dancers from the Ballet d'Action to Merce Cunningham (University of Illinois Press, 2007), which investigates the contributions of performers to the history of western theatrical dance, and of articles and reviews published in such journals as Dance Chronicle; Journal of Women's History; and Dance Research Journal.

David Covey worked as a lighting director and production manager with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company from 1996 to 1998, during a leave of absence from Ohio State. During that time he staged many repertory pieces and created original lighting designs for Scenario and Pondway. He also created lighting designs for “Events” presented by the company and won a Bessie (New York Dance and Performance Award) for lighting an Event at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music). In addition, he produced a celebration of Cunningham’s work at BAM with guest artists including Mikhail Baryshnikov, Trisha Brown, Mark Morris, and Twyla Tharp. At Ohio State, Covey teaches dance lighting, production, and composition, while also serving as the production coordinator for the dance department.

Admission to this talk is free to all ticketholders for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company concert.

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Merce Cunningham Dance Company is presented at the Wexner Center with major support from the Ohio Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Promotional support is provided by 90.5-FM WCBE.