The Merce Cunningham Dance Company opens Dance Umbrella 2004 with the UK premiere of the company’s highly anticipated new work alongside two past favourites. In Split Sides the dance legend collaborates with cutting-edge rock bands Radiohead and Sigur Rós. The course of every unique evening is determined by the roll of a dice. With two choices each of choreography, music, costume, design and lighting, there are 32 different possible outcomes for each performance. The sets are designed by Turner Prize nominee Catherine Yass and Robert Heishman, costume design is by James Hall and lighting design by James F. Ingalls.

How to Pass, Kick, Fall and Run is a key Cunningham piece, reflecting the choreographer’s challenge to conventional dance movements. As eight dancers perform centre stage, Cunningham appears together with David Vaughan, reading short stories by John Cage. Each story is told within one minute, regardless of its written length. Cunningham’s fascination with complex movement, inspired by the DanceForms computer programme, formed the basis of Ground Level Overlay, in which the dancers evoke a lyrical jungle - a view of modern urban life.