| Summary: | Suite for Five (1956) was created by adding a trio, a duet and a quintet to Cunningham's earlier Solo Suite in Space and Time (1953). By 1958, the original piece had been modified so that Cunningham's five solos were reduced to three, and a solo for Carolyn Brown was added. The classic purity and tranquility of Suite for Five is acknowledged in the program notes, which read, "The events and sounds of this ballet revolve around a quiet center, which though silent and unmoving, is the source from which they happen." The score, Cage's Music for Piano, and the choreography, relied on the imperfections in paper and on chance operations, to determine both the musical composition and the movement of the ballet. It is one of the first examples of Cunningham abandoning meter and relying on each dancer's timing in executing the length of the phrase. Robert Rauschenberg designed the vibrantly hued colored leotards and tights, with lighting designed by Beverly Emmons. The film was commissioned by the Cunningham Dance Foundation and funded by Save America's Treasures in an effort to capture historic Cunningham works that were not yet recorded on film. Longtime Cunningham collaborator Charles Atlas filmed the performances at PepsiCo Theatre at SUNY Purchase in June 2006
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