The eminence gris of the dance world, Cunningham was one of the most acclaimed choreographers of his time. He passed away in 2009.

Cunningham was 13 when he took his first tap class, and joined the Martha Graham Dance Company (when Graham herself was still dancing with the company) in 1938 at the age of 19. Cunningham presented his first solo work in 1944 with John Cage, the avant-garde composer he'd met in college—and fallen in love with—and a year later, Cunningham left Graham to create works of his own. After founding his eponymous dance company in 1953, Cunningham continued to choreograph work throughout the 1950s and 60s, collaborating with Cage on the scores and a handful of emerging artists like Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns and Andy Warhol. In the early days, Cunningham didn't earn much praise from critics, who had difficulty understanding his work. That changed in 1966 with Variations V, which remains one of Cunningham's most famous works. Cunningham has since gone on to choreograph more than 170 works, often collaborating with young cutting-edge artists, earning just about every artistic achievement award imaginable in the process.

His partner John Cage passed away in 1992, ending a romantic and professional partnership that lasted nearly five decades. Merce continued to dance and choreograph to his last days—he passed away near weeks after the world premiere of his dance "Nearly Ninety" and celebrating his own 90th birthday. [Image via Getty]