Merce Cunningham Dance Co. at Lied Center March 7

The innovative modern dance troupe, Merce Cunningham Dance Co., will perform two of its works, "Second Hand" and "eyeSpace" at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's Lied Center for Performing Arts at 7:30 p.m. March 7. Widely recognized as the greatest living modern dance choreographer, Cunningham has been praised internationally for decades for his revolutionary work.

Renowned for his achievements in choreography, Cunningham was also an accomplished dancer earlier in his career. Originally trained in tap and ballroom dance, he was a soloist in the company of Martha Graham for five years; he then began doing some independent choreography before forming his own company in 1953. In his many works for MCDCo., he is most well known for his collaborations with visual artists and musicians and making every piece a multi-media, multi-sensory experience. "He has taught us something new and powerful about how to dance and how to live..." said dance legend Mikhail Baryshnikov.

For this performance, the company will recreate the seminal 1944-70 work "Second Hand," which features avant-garde music by John Cage and striking costumes that match Jasper Johns' originals. The company will also present "eyeSpace," a work featuring costumes and decor by artist Henry Samuelson and including accompaniment by both an iPod and live music. The score is crafted so that audience members can have a meaningful, unique listening experience, whether they are tuned to the iPod portion or the ambient sound component of the musicians performing live.

Tickets for this performance are $48 and $38. UNL students with a valid ID, as well as youths age 18 and younger, may purchase tickets for half price. Call the Lied Ticket Office at (402) 472-4747 or (800) 432-3231 for ticket availability. Regular ticket office hours are 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays. Tickets may also be purchased online at www.liedcenter.org.

As part of the Lied Center's ongoing education programming, a pre-performance talk will be held in the Lied Center's Steinhart Room. The pre-talk speaker will be Sarah Levine, associate professor of dance at UNL. Seating is limited in the Steinhart, and the pre-talk will begin at 7 p.m. or when the room is full. The Lied Center is located at 301 N. 12th St. on the UNL City Campus.

This presentation is made possible in part by generous support from the Ruth Marie Amen Endowment. The Nebraska Arts Council, a state agency, has supported the programs of this organization through its matching grants program funded by the Nebraska Legislature; the National Endowment for the Arts, a federal agency; and the Nebraska Cultural Endowment.

Lied Center programming is supported by Friends of Lied and grants from Association of Performing Arts Presenters; National Endowment for the Arts; Mid-America Arts Alliance; Nebraska Arts Council; New England Foundation for the Arts; and Lincoln Arts Council. All events in the Lied Center are made possible entirely or in part by the Lied Performance Fund, which has been established in memory of Ernst F. Lied and his parents, Ernst M. and Ida K. Lied.

For more information about the Merce Cunningham Dance Co., visit www.merce.org.

The link below is to a color JPEG image from a previous performance by the Merce Cunningham Dance Co. of "eyeSpace."