For someone who threw dice to decide what movement to include in a new work, Centralia-born Merce Cunningham choreographed the end of his career quite specifically. Several years before his 2009 death (at the age of 90), he decreed that, after a final tour, his company would disband and his work would only be staged by other groups, rather than maintaining a dedicated ensemble. So the Merce Cunningham Dance Company is making its last two appearances here in Seattle, almost at the end of its final tour. We’re seeing some of the oldest and best-known dances, including Rain Forest, with its silvery Andy Warhol-designed pillows, and some of his most current experiments, like Biped, which incorporates motion-capture animation. Both are prime examples from a six-decade career of radical elegance. SANDRA KURTZ

Thu., Oct. 27, 7:30 p.m.; Sat., Oct. 29, 8 p.m., 2011