Merce Cunningham : Fifty Years
Worth buying if: You follow modern dance, choreography, or performance art closely.
Skip it if: You want a quick, plot-driven read rather than a detailed arts monograph.
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780893816247. The Amazon link uses this ISBN, so the product page should open to the edition shown here.
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Summary
David Vaughan chronicles Cunningham’s career across fifty years, pairing critical essaying with photographs and documentation that trace his collaborations, experiments, and influence on contemporary movement.
Why this book now
For readers revisiting modern dance history, this Aperture volume offers a definitive visual and critical record of a pivotal choreographer.
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Best for readers who...
Good fit if you want...
- You follow modern dance, choreography, or performance art closely.
- You appreciate archival photography and artist biographies.
- You want a quick, plot-driven read rather than a detailed arts monograph.
- You prefer strictly technical dance manuals over historical narrative.
Decided it fits?
Exact edition: Edition shown · ISBN-13 9780893816247
Worth buying if: You follow modern dance, choreography, or performance art closely.
Skip it if: You want a quick, plot-driven read rather than a detailed arts monograph.
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.
Reader guide
Cues to help you decide faster.
Reading commitment
Balanced Moderate time
At roughly 320 pages, expect a focused but substantial read combining essays, images, and chronologies—best enjoyed in focused sessions rather than one sitting.
What stands out here
This Aperture edition highlights extensive photography and documentation alongside Vaughan’s authoritative account, making the book as much a visual record as a critical study.
Best way to approach it
Treat it as a hybrid: skim images and captions to orient yourself, then read Vaughan’s chapters for contextual depth and historical insight.
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Exact edition: ISBN-13 9780893816247
Check Amazon for the current price and availability of this exact edition.