Marianne Preger-Simon

Dancer and author Marianne Preger-Simon was one of Merce Cunningham’s first students in New York, working one-on-one with the choreographer in 1950 and joining the company upon its founding at Black Mountain College in 1953. The photographs and sketches from that summer show the small but dedicated group of dancers who came together that summer. Preger-Simon would dance with the company through 1958. In 2019, she released her memoir, Dancing With Merce, to much critical acclaim. The memoir offers an intimate look at her friendship with Cunningham, the evolution of the company, and her career as a dancer.