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In 1988, Morris was named director of dance at Brussels’ Theatre Royal de la Monnaie as the Dance Group was invited for a three-year stint as the national dance company of Belgium.Īs artist in residence at Belgium’s national opera house, Morris created 12 pieces. The Dance Group performed at the Brooklyn Academy of Music for the first of 15 seasons in 1984, had its Kennedy Center debut in 1985 and premiered in Europe and on PBS in 1986.

Today, the Mark Morris Dance Group boasts a busy international touring schedule and is considered one of the world’s leading dance companies. The ensemble first performed in 1980 at New York City’s Merce Cunningham Studio. Morris moved from Seattle to New York in 1976, and his early career included performing with several groups, including the Koleda Balkan Dance Ensemble, the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Hannah Kahn Dance Company, Laura Dean Dancers and Musicians, and the Eliot Feld Ballet.Īt the age of 24, Morris founded the Mark Morris Dance Group with friends and colleagues. He developed an interest in a range of music and dance styles, including folk, classical ballet, and modern, which continue to influence his work.

Still, Morris’ reputation as the “bad boy” of modern dance has faded in recent years, amid accolades for Morris’ “force of imagination” and ability to mix emotions.īorn in 1956, Morris first studied dance in his hometown of Seattle, Washington. His dancers, derided by some critics as “fat,” have challenged the dance world’s notions of the body. But his style has irked some, and was not always appreciated. The outrageousness that puts off some is matched by a seriousness that critics say cover the human experience and emotional truth. Morris says his choreography develops from the score, and his works are set to everything from Bach and Handel to country-western’s Louvin Brothers and rock’s Violent Femmes. But over the past two decades, Morris has also danced in underpants with a bag over his head, and a recent work features a solo performance by a remote control truck.

Morris has collaborated with classical star Yo-Yo Ma, as well as Baryshnikov, and Morris’ work is often grounded in classical forms. Dance legend Mikhail Baryshnikov has called Morris “one of the great choreographers of our time.”Ĭritics have not always been sure what to make of Morris-or whether to take him seriously.