無所為而為的舞動：由「凱吉禪」探看康寧漢的「身體景觀」

Dancing for Itself: An Exploration of Cunningham’s Body Vistas from the Perspective of “Cage Zen”

美國舞者康寧漢（Merce Cunningham, 1919-2009）是二十世紀後半以來，西方備受稱譽的編舞家之一，其歷史定位不僅立基於傑出舞作的貢獻，更為人所津津樂道的是其作品與觀念為後代所帶來的影響性。而他所提出的突破性改革，主要源自於他的人生伴侶約翰‧凱吉（John Cage, 1912-1992）的概念啟發，其中尤以禪佛的思想影響最大。

本論文首先陳述凱吉如何幫助早期的康寧漢舞團穩定與茁壯，獨特的「凱吉禪」又是如何影響康寧漢的創作。其次，筆者透過《五人組曲》（1956），一探康寧漢作品中以禪意為出發的客觀旨趣與寧靜境界，接著以禪宗「平常心是道」的概念，探討凱吉與康寧漢作品中的日常與非日常性，提點現代與後現代舞蹈的定位議題。由於康寧漢某種程度地以機遇性操作成就作品的完成性，又配上狀似沒有任何關係的前衛音樂，因此筆者針對尚留有偌大詮釋空間的表現性與音樂性，進一步予以討論。透過這些探討，筆者發現在諸多康寧漢成熟的大型作品中，禪藝術所重視的大自然旨趣，成為其作品重要的表現特徵，《夏日空間》（1958）、《聲之舞》（1975）、《海灘鳥》（1991）與《水塘路》（1998）等作品是為例，它們充分顯現「身體景觀」的各種可能性。筆者最後指出，康寧漢作品體現生命理想性的動能，呈現靜中有動、動中有靜的趣味，它們某種程度地實踐了凱吉所謂不為情感所役的存在的「高貴性」。

 

American dancer Merce Cunningham (1919-2009) is one of the most respected choreographers in the West after the World War II. His historical position is not only based on the outstanding contributions of the dance repertoire, but also the influence of his works and ideas upon the future generations. The breakthrough reformation he brought was mainly inspired by the concept of his life-long partner John Cage (1912-1992), especially the thought of Zen Buddhism.

This paper first describes how Cage helped the early Cunningham Dance Company to be stable and strong, and how the unique ""Cage Zen"" influenced Cunningham’s creation. Secondly, through the Suite for Five (1956), the author explores the disinterestedness and tranquility of Zen spirit in Cunningham’s works. Based on the Zen concept that the ordinary mind is the Buddha’s mind, the author then discusses the dailiness and non-dailiness in the works of Cage and Cunningham. Since Cunningham used the chance operation as a tool to get the works done to some extent and apply the avant-garde music that does not seem to have much connection to the works, the expressiveness and musicality of the works that still hold a big interpretative potential are to be investigated. This leads to the discovery that the interest of the nature which is the essence of Zen art has become an important feature in many of Cunningham’s large-scale mature works. The works of Summerspace (1958), Sounddance (1975), Beach Bird (1991), Pond Road (1998) and etc. are the examples which fully reveal the possibilities of the ""body vista."" Finally, the author points out that the works of Cunningham reflect the ideal kinetic energy of life, and they show the quality of quietness in movement and movement in quietness. To some extent, Cunningham embodied the so-called ""nobility,"" i.e. the detachment of emotion, which Cage advocated throughout his life.