Mark Morris

Mark Morris
Name	Mark Morris
Birth date	29 August 1956
Birth place	Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Occupation	Choreographer, Dancer, Artistic director
Known for	Founder of the Mark Morris Dance Group
Awards	MacArthur Fellowship, Doris Duke Award

Mark Morris is an American choreographer, dancer, and artistic director renowned for his profound musicality, wit, and expansive repertoire that draws from global dance traditions. He founded the Mark Morris Dance Group in 1980, which has become one of the world’s leading dance companies, celebrated for its live musical accompaniment. Morris's work, often set to music ranging from Baroque to contemporary composers, has been performed by major institutions like the Metropolitan Opera and the Royal Opera House. He is also the director of the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, a hub for dance education and community engagement.

Early life and education

Born in Seattle, he was introduced to music and folk dance at a young age, studying Flamenco and Balkan dance at the Verla Flowers Dance Studio. He performed with the Seattle Opera and a semi-professional Balkan dance ensemble, cultivating an early affinity for rhythmic complexity and communal performance. His formal training included ballet at the School of American Ballet and modern dance techniques, though he often credits his eclectic early exposure as a primary influence. Morris moved to New York City in 1976, where he danced with companies including the Eliot Feld Ballet and Lar Lubovitch, before forming his own ensemble.

Career

After founding the Mark Morris Dance Group, the company gained critical acclaim following its 1984 debut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival. A pivotal period began in 1988 when Morris was appointed director of dance at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, the first American to lead a national dance company. During this tenure, he created major works like L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato. Returning to New York in 1991, he solidified his company's presence, and in 2001 opened the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn. He has also directed opera productions for the Metropolitan Opera and the English National Opera.

Choreographic style and influences

His choreography is distinguished by its acute musicality, often described as visualizing the structure and emotion of a score with uncanny precision. Influences are remarkably diverse, encompassing Martha Graham, George Balanchine, Merce Cunningham, and various world dance forms from Morris dance to Asian dance. Morris frequently employs a democratic, non-hierarchical structure on stage, rejecting traditional ballet virtuosity in favor of expressive, often pedestrian movement. His work balances profound seriousness with theatrical humor and has been noted for its exploration of themes like love, death, and community.

Major works and collaborations

Significant works include the evening-length L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato (1988) set to Handel, The Hard Nut (1991), his postmodern take on The Nutcracker, and Dido and Aeneas (1989) with music by Henry Purcell. He has collaborated extensively with composers like Lou Harrison, John Zorn, and Ethan Iverson, and with visual artists such as Isaac Mizrahi. Morris created the dance film Falling Down Stairs (1997) in collaboration with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and has set works on companies including the San Francisco Ballet and American Ballet Theatre.

Awards and recognition

His numerous honors include a MacArthur Fellowship (1991), the Doris Duke Award (2016), and several New York Dance and Performance Awards ("Bessies"). He received the Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award for lifetime achievement and was named a Library of Congress "Living Legend." Morris holds honorary doctorates from institutions like The Juilliard School and Boston Conservatory at Berklee. In 2007, he was awarded the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance.

Personal life

Based primarily in New York City, he is known for his advocacy of dance accessibility and music education. Morris is an avid collector of art and a passionate cook, interests that occasionally inform his creative projects. He has been openly gay throughout his career and his work often explores themes of sexuality and identity. A dedicated teacher, he is actively involved in the programs at the Mark Morris Dance Center, which offers community classes and outreach initiatives.

Category:American choreographers Category:American dancers Category:MacArthur Fellows Category:Living people