In honor of visual artist Robert Rauschenberg’s Centennial year, the Trisha Brown Dance Company and the Merce Cunningham Trust worked together to create Dancing With Bob: Rauschenberg, Brown & Cunningham Onstage. The production that was presented at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (The Wallis), however, was so much more. Dancing With Bob featured the creative work of six amazing artists; visual artist Robert Rauschenberg, choreographers Trisha Brown and Merce Cunningham, musicians and composers Laurie Anderson and John Cage, and lighting designer Beverly Emmons. To say that this performance was a gift to the dance, music and art world would be an understatement. Readers can learn more about this collaboration in my article published on April 15, 2026.
Merce Cunningham in CUNNINGHAM, a Magnolia Pictures release. © Robert Rutledge. Photo courtesy of Magnolia Pictures
In full disclosure, I performed with the Merce Cunningham Dance Company from 1967 to 1970 and therefore knew most of these artists personally. When choreographer Viola Farber passed away, it was Trisha Brown, the Cunningham Foundation and Lucinda Childs who organized and partially funded her Celebration of Life service at the Joyce Theatre. For me, attending the performance of Dancing With Bob: Rauschenberg, Brown, & Cunningham Onstage at The Wallis on Thursday, May 7, 2026 was a wonderful journey back in time.
Trisha Brown Dance Company in “Set and Reset” (1983) Choreography: Trisha Brown Performers: Trisha Oesterling, Trisha Brown, Wil Swanson – Photo by Mark Hanauer.
The curtain rose on Trisha Brown’s Set And Reset (1983) revealing a large white square sandwiched in between two large white triangles. Soon film clips of different social events were projected onto the set as it rose to hang about 15 feet above the stage. The theater wings were made of black mesh allowing the audience to see the performers as they entered and exited. At various moments, the wings became part of the choreography because Brown created movement specifically involving them.
Trisha Brown – Photo by Marc Ginot.
If one has not seen the works of Trisha Brown, her movement appears loose jointed and free flowing. It is, however, anything but easy, taking years of training to accomplish. Her choreography may look to some as chaotic and improvised, but when you look closely and really study the work you realize that Brown has mapped out in detail when and where the dancers are going. Two dancers involved in a section of Brown’s organized chaos suddenly clap hands as they pass or a women who seemingly jumps backwards into space lands in the arms of a man who gets there at the last second. Groups miraculously morph into unison duets, lifts happen in passing and there are brief moments of unison.
Dancing With Bob – Trisha Brown Dance Company – “Set And Reset” (1983) – Choreography by Trisha Brown – Performers: Catherine Kirk, Ashley Merker,
Jennifer Payán, Spencer Weidie – Photo by Ben McKeown, courtesy of the American Dance Festival.
A second set by Rauschenberg floats in. It is two geometrically shaped pieces of fabric hanging downstage, just off center. Both were made of delicate white material with rich colorful designs printed onto them. At first dancers perform behind it but later after a dancer attached the two items together, the set was raised higher above their heads.
Brown’s choreography and Rauschenberg’s sets in Set And Reset are genius and along with Anderson’s music and Emmons’ crystal clear lighting they created an atmosphere of timelessness. Rauschenberg’s grey and white costumes shared some of the events projected on the first set and they moved wonderfully with Brown’s movement.
Trisha Brown Dance Company in “Set and Reset” (1983) Choreography: Trisha Brown Performers: Trisha Oesterling, Trisha Brown, Wil Swanson – Photographer: Mark Hanauer.
The dancers who performed at The Wallis were superb, helping to make Brown’s 1983 choreography come alive, appear fresh and remain relevant. They were Savannah Gaillard, Burr Johnson, Catherine Kirk, Ashley Merker, Patrick Needham, Jennifer Payán, and Spencer Weidie.
The creative team for Set And Reset included: Choreography by Trisha Brown, Sets and Costumes by Robert Rauschenberg, Music by Laurie Anderson, Light Design by Beverly Emmons. Choreography staged by Carolyn Lucas with Cecily Campbell, Marc Crousillat, and Jamie Scott; Design & Production reconstruction consultant Jessie Ksanznak and Nick Kolin, Scenic Reconstruction Lawrence Voytek and ShowFab, and Costume Reconstruction Amanda Kmett’Pendry, Dyenamix Inc., and Zarah Green.
Merce Cunningham – Photo and copyright by Annie Leibovitz (1997) Courtesy of the Merce Cunninhgam Trust and Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library
The same timelessness was true for Merce Cunningham’s 1977 work titled Travelogue with sets and costumes by Rauschenberg and music by John Cage. I had seen Travelogue before but only on video. Once it began at The Wallis I realized that I had not truly seen this wonderful work. Travelogue was laced with humor and alive with bright vibrant reds, blues, purples and reds. Though the dancers wore Cunningham’s standard leotards and tights, Rauschenberg’s colors brought a new dimension to an old idea.
Trisha Brown Dance Company in “Travelogue” (1977) Choreography by Merce Cunningham – Performers: Spencer Weidie, Patrick
Needham, Jennifer Payán, Claude CJ Johnson – Photo by Ben McKeown, courtesy of the American Dance Festival.
The nine dancers enter the space in silhouette against a bright red backdrop, sitting on chairs that are moving along a large wheels between each chair. It is only an illusion, however, that the wheels are mobilizing the set, but it is still visually stunning.
Trisha Brown Dance Company in “Travelogue” (1977) Choreography by Merce Cunningham – Performers: Savannah Gaillard, Spencer Weidie, Catherine Kirk, Burr Johnson, Patrick Needham, Jennifer Payán, Claude CJ Johnson, Ashley Merker – Photo by Ben McKeown, courtesy of the American Dance Festival.
Rauschenberg’s sets are occasionally incorporated into the dancing by becoming part of the performers’ costumes. Two long strips of sheer material transform the dancers into a long caterpillar or centipede like creature. Two men stretch a long rope across the stage on which hang tin cans and several a scarf sized strips of fabric. Their seeming struggle to maintain control of the rope becomes part of the soundscore and a backdrop for a lengthy solo originally choreographed for Meg Harber and performed stunningly by Ashley Merker. Claude CJ Johnson, dressed in orange, performs a wonderful solo while wearing multiple silver cans strapped to his legs. Each jump, leap or turn produced a clamoring of metal against metal. Another addition by Rauschenberg were large fans that were joined together between each dancer’s legs. When these fans were open to full size, they produced a prehistoric bird-like effect.
Chris Komar, Robert Kovich and Meg Harper in “Travelogue” (1977) Choreography by Merce Cunningham – Photograph by Charles Atlas, 1977. Courtesy of the Merce Cunningham Trust and the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library.
John Cage’s score titled Telephones and Birds brought both humor and a rural feel to Travelogue. Musicians Mike Steele, Samuel Wentz, and devika wickremesinghe used their cellphones to call businesses, then amplified the voicemail messages and recordings. Some were hilarious. The bird calls placed us in a deep forest or on an isolated farm.
Having worked with Cunningham, I recognized his solo by the movements that were strictly Merce. It was performed here by the tall and stately Burr Johnson. I enjoyed how he did not try to look or move like Cunningham but embodied it honestly.
Jim Self in “Travelogue” (1977) Choreography by Merce Cunningham – Photograph by Charles Atlas, 1977. Courtesy of the
Merce Cunningham Trust and the Jerome Robbins Dance Division, The New York Public Library.
The wonderful cast of Travelogue included Savannah Gaillard, Rochelle Jamila, Burr Johnson, Claude Johnson, Ashley Merker, Patrick Needham, Jennifer Payán, Spencer Weidie.
The creative team for Travelogue included Choreography by Merce Cunningham, Music by John Cage, Original Design and Costumes by Robert Rauschenberg, Choreography staged by Marcie Munnerlyn and Andrea Weber, Music Director & Realization of Cage’s Telephones and Birds for Mobile Devices Adam Tendler, Design & Production consultant Davison Scandrett, Scenic Reconstruction Mrinali Thanwani, Bland Wade & Kris Julio from UNCSA School of Design & Production; Sail Reconstruction by Rose Brand, Costume Reconstruction Earlene Munnerlyn and Marissa McCullough, and Lighting Reconstruction Davidson Scandrett & Joe Levasseur.
Realizing that this was a Centennial tribute to Robert Rauschenberg and that it was very expensive to reproduce both Set And Reset and Travelogue, it would be great if this amazing company returned to Los Angeles more often. Congratulations to The Wallis for bringing them to Los Angeles.
For more information about the Trisha Brown Dance Company, please visit their website.
To find out The Wallis’ full season, please visit their website.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Dancing With Bob – Travelogue (1977) – Choreography by Merce Cunningham – Performers Savannah Gaillard, Spencer Weidie, Catherine Kirk, Burr Johnson, Patrick Needham, Jennifer Payán, Claude CJ Johnson – Photo by Ben McKeown, courtesy of the American Dance Festival.
