Dancer and choreographer Merce Cunningham, a leading figure in the development of Modern dance in America, died on July 26, 2009. Cunningham established his dance company in 1953, choreographing over 200 works, many in collaboration with visual artists including Robert Rauschenberg. Cunningham’s first dance studio was located on the top floor of 69 West 14th Street (also the location of Alternate U., now demolished) from December 1959 to 1966. He later moved the studio to 498 Third Avenue and then to its final home, at Westbeth (55 Bethune Street), in 1971. The Merce Cunningham Dance Company was housed in the former penthouse auditorium of Westbeth until it disbanded in 2010, a year after Cunningham’s death.⁠ ⁠ Photos: (1) Merce Cunningham with Carolyn Brown at Westbeth, 1972. Photo by Wendy Perron; (2) Exterior of the Westbeth penthouse, at 55 Bethune Street, 2016.⁠ #nyclgbtsites #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbthistory #gay #gayhistory #dance #dancehistory #mercecunningham #westbeth