Douglass Dunn grew up in Palo Alto California. He tried a multitude of sports that incorporated quick shifts, deception, and dodges. He eventually went to school at Princeton University, which is where his mind opened up about art and eventually led him to a career as a dancer. At Princeton, the endless studying made him unsteady and he decided one day to randomly take a dance at the local Ballet Society. Soon he because a regular and was asked to perform, however, he married and moved to Connecticut to become a teacher. On a whim, he moved to New York City and became infatuated with Merce Cunninghams technique and class. Cunningham asked him into his company and the rest is history. I believe his whimsical move to New York City (almost like a midlife crisis) was a paramount shift in his personal life that led him to career he now has.
This link provides a look at his full biography:
http://douglasdunndance.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20&Itemid=40
Jacob's Pillow
After his junior year in college, Dunn attended Jacob's pillow, which was an eye opening experience. Here he was influenced by Ted Shawn among others that had a great impact on concert dance. Dunn had never even seen these performers before. Here, at this pivotal dance landmark in history, Dunn was able to further his new interest and love for dance that furthered his career.
This link is an article that gives us an in depth look at how Dunn was introduced to the dance art form and the people who shaped his early career:
http://douglasdunndance.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=43&Itemid=56
Merce Cunningham and Minimalism
Perhaps the thing that had the most affect on Douglas Dunn was Merce Cunningham and his minimalistic approach. Merce Cunningham is one of the first people Dunn studied under and seems to be the person who had the biggest impact on Dunn and his dancing. Multiple reviews and articles explain how Dunn continues to use Cunningham's style of minimalism in many of his pieces.
This link is a review about
Inventors at La Mama Experiemental Theatre. Dunn coupled up with Christopher Williams, who has a very different style. It describes how Dunn uses his influences from Cunningham with minimalism, but how he is also exceptional at using humor in his pieces:
http://www.brooklynrail.org/2007/6/dance/min
Douglas Dunn may not be as well known as some artists, but he certainly has made a distinct impact on dance. His overall story about how exactly he was introduced to dance and how he developed himself as a performer and a dancer are inspiring. The answers to what does it mean, why does it matter, and what is it about can be interpreted in this quote that Douglas Dunn has on his website. He lays it out better than I could for him.
Douglas Dunn draws from his past experiences, such as dancing with Merce Cunningham, but also infuses his own ideas into his works as well. His performances often incorporate radical costumes. He has also been said to have equal bouts of humor and form in his pieces. This quote by him sums up what he strives to do with his work...
Douglas Dunn studied with Yvonne Rainer & Group (1968-70), Merce Cunningham & Dance Company (1969-73), and danced with Grand Union (1970-76), which was a group that specialized in unpremeditated performance. His biggest influence, however, was Merce Cunningham. Dunn decided to whimsically take classes at various studios and "immediately responded to Merce Cunningham's big, extended, passionately plain moving and no talking." Cunningham eventually asked him into his company and the rest is history. The follwing years he danced Cunningham's rigorous, set steps, with the Grand Union. Cunninham's minimalist approach is an idea that Dunn continues to promote in his pieces.
