The 60th Anniversary of Yvonne Rainer’s Trio A: A Dance That Redefined Modern Movement
Yvonne Rainer’s Trio A, a seminal work credited with launching the postmodern dance movement, is marking its 60th anniversary this year. The Tate Modern in London is celebrating the milestone with free, durational performances and discussions from July 10–11, highlighting the enduring influence of Rainer’s 1966 piece. “Of course I’m surprised and very appreciative of all the attention,” Rainer, 91, said in a recent interview, reflecting on the work’s lasting impact.
The Legacy of Trio A: A Postmodern Benchmark
When Trio A premiered in 1966, it defied traditional dance conventions by rejecting music, narrative, and repetitive movements. Instead, Rainer choreographed a series of “pedestrian motions”—toe taps, limbs folding and unfolding—that demanded an “uninflected continuity,” according to the artist. Pat Catterson, a certified transmitter of the work, described the piece as embodying a “weighted ease,” where every movement carries equal emphasis. “It’s not that she was erasing something, just proposing something we hadn’t seen before,” said Sara Wookey, another transmitter set to assist with the Tate’s performances.
Rainer’s work resonated with the cultural ethos of the 1960s, particularly the egalitarian spirit of the Vietnam War era. Catterson recalled a 1969 performance at New York’s Billy Rose Theatre where audience members climbed onstage to attempt the piece. “The Vietnam War draft had been such a leveler, and there was an egalitarian impulse in the culture,” she explained. “You wanted to do Trio A, because you felt it was yours.”
The Challenges of Transmission: Preserving Rainer’s Vision
Despite its simplicity, Trio A is notoriously difficult to execute. Rainer, known for her “persnicketiness” about details, emphasized that even authorized transmitters return for “tune-ups.” Pat Catterson, who taught herself to perform the piece backward for a 1970 Judson Church event, noted the physical demands: “You’re controlling your weight against gravity. You can’t speed up while going down or leap in the air.”
Rainer has allowed adaptations over the years, including versions for dancers in wheelchairs and a 1978 experiment where she performed the piece in tap shoes. “It’s been done for people in wheelchairs, for plants in a scientific experiment in Chicago,” she said. Catterson’s reverse performance, which she described as “even more extraordinary than my original,” was staged nude to protest the Vietnam War—a choice she said helped her focus on the choreography.
The Tate Modern’s Celebration: Teaching a New Generation
The Tate Modern’s event will feature 15 professionals, aged 30 to 67, learning Trio A under Wookey’s guidance. The gallery will also debut the first audio description of the solo, making it accessible to a broader audience. Wookey, who shares Rainer’s idiosyncratic language with students—describing movements as “arms swinging like rocks on the end of a string”—stressed the importance of context. “I try to prevent people from learning it from the 1978 video because I was no longer at my apex in terms of dancing,” Rainer said.
As the work enters its seventh decade, Rainer acknowledges its evolution. “Things do not stay pure forever,” she said, though Pat Catterson remains optimistic. “Dancing Trio A is kind of addictive. You keep trying to do the tasks and you never can do it perfectly.”
What’s Next for Trio A? A Dance That Keeps Going
For now, the Tate Modern’s celebration offers a rare opportunity to experience a work that continues to challenge, inspire, and redefine the boundaries of dance.
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