...otherwise I might have missed this today.

I can remember seeing him dance with his company in New York, as well as at Sadler's Wells in London. This reminds me of all the wonderful experiences I had.

Funny how this thread brings back old memories of New York. I can remember just after I moved there I was sitting in O'Neil's Balloon across from Lincoln Center, having a slice of quiche and a coffee. I looked up and saw what appeared to be A God crossing the street. Later I learned that god was Peter Martins. (So how does the NYCB rank in your cosmology?)

Well, high of course. But as a modern dancer myself, my "god" was Cunningham.

Still, I remember high school days when my pals and I were all in love with Nureyev. Remember that wonderful film (early '60s) of Nureyev and Margot Fontaine dancing? sigh. At least our teenage crushes were worthy ones - Nureyev, the Beatles, and the Stones.

NYCB and Balanchine - marvelous.

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was to be a Cunningham dancer!

He and John Cage had strong connections with the Dance Dept. and the School of Music at the university in my home town, and they came there repeatedly and performed. Cage was a visiting prof. there for a year, and created a brilliant work -- the Music Circus  -- which is still vivid in my memories.

I was a dance major there for  a year before I had to drop out (because of finances, etc.) and my deepest dream for many years was to be a dancer in Cunningham's company dancing with the best of the best. For many years, it was my deepest wish. A young woman who had been a year ahead of me in that dance dept. was hired into Cunningham's company as soon as she graduated - I thought she must be the happiest dancer on earth.Another dancer in my own year, who had been one of my closest friends in high school as well, was hired by ABT - and I thought, " marvelous, but it's not Cunningham!"

His work is out there on so many videos, and he is such a gifted gifted dancer - it's worth looking them up. One's heart soars while watching him.

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Sorry I got the thread out of order - I found some typing errors and corrected them and then the Comment shifted order.

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...was pure egotism. One night I saw him "dance away" from the Canadian Ballet, as if to say, "These dumb Canucks." Really embarrassing...

But still amazing dancer. I now like Barishnikov more.

Interesting aside - about Al Huang.

A few years after I moved to Canada, I took a choreography class in the modern dance dept of the Canadian univ. I was attending, and some of us took a field trip to York Univ. to see a modern dance program. The dancer who most grabbed my attention was Al Huang. The first time I had heard of him.

He also was in the univ. dance dept in my hometown (after I left town) - and his wife was there too - doing costuming, i think. Or was she with the theater dept? Anyway---

I was back in my hometown in the mid-seventies for a visit (I think that was the timeframe) and visted an old hippy-artist-townie friend from my early univ. days there and learned Al Huang was currently her neighbor,living across the street. Such a small town and such a small world.

And then I moved to Esalen and found out he is one of the Esalen tai chi gods.

John, I think you must have had a lot of fun in NYC! 

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...who arrived in a full military costume, with the jacket covered in gold medals, neck to waist. Quite a sight!

My defining memory of Manhattan is walking up 49th St. between 1st and 2nd, shaking my head and cursing out loud.