Mark Morris Dance Group

The Mark Morris Dance group, located in Brooklyn New York, consists of The Company, The Dance Center, and The School.

Mr. Morris is the artistic director of the Company, with Matthew Rose as the rearsal rirector. The company started in 1980 and had its first show in New York City. They expanded their touring to all of the United States and Europe. And it 1986 made a nationalteltevision program for PBS series Dance in America. The company, MMDG, is noted for its commitment to live music, a feature of every performance on its interantional touring schedule since 1996.

The Mark Morris Dance Group purchased a derelict building on the corner of Flatbush and Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn, in 1998, which would become what now stands as the Mark Morris Dance Center. The center was constructed on contributed funds, both public and private. There are seven column-free studios with wood-sprung floors and spacious dressing rooms with lockers and showers. Primarily used by the company and school, the seven studios which range in size from 430 square-feet to 3,600 square-feet are available for rent to non-profit dance companies at discounted rates. There is also a wellness center, a performance space and expanded public spaces. "it has become a haven, a society of dancing, a community enterprise for people of all ages and abilities."

The School at Mark Morris Dance Center reflects the spirit of the mark morris Dance Group in its celebration of dance and music. We believe that the study of various dance forms and music is essential to a child's education and development. We offer a diverse range of classes for all ages and strive to be a center of creative activity for children, community residents and professional dancers. Sarah Marcus is the School Director, Diane Ogunusi is the School Administrator, and Marc Castelli is the School Bursar.

The Hard Nut

When Morris premiered The Hard Nut at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, most people did not know what to think. The Review I found from the New York Times on December 16, 1993, written by Jennifer Dunning shows insight into audience's initial reactions.  One (9-year-old) critic aclaimed, "It was weird. But I loved it!"  The ballet would definitely be a weird experience for anyone already familiar with Balanchine's version of "The Nutcracker." The piece is set in a "nightmarish American home in the 1960's and inserts a confusing subpolot from the story by E. T. A. Hoffman on which "The Nutcracker" was based. And there is almost no bravura classical dance." Dunning claims, what makes "The Hard Nut" so lovable and indispensable, is a sweetness and spaciousness very much like its traditional Tchaikovsky score. Morris's portrayal of Drosselmeier is part of the production that really makes it it's own. "Growing up is a frightening, lonely adventure whose promise is worth the journey. And that journey may find its reward in love, as expressed in a simple buoyant duet that follows for the Nutcracker and little Marie Stahlbaum, Mr. Morris's truehearted heroine, a dance filled with kisses deep enough to satisfy young fans of television's "90210" but not offend their parents." Dunning's choice of words here really express the effectiveness of Morris's show. 

The review is not all good things, Dunning claims "some of the second-act choreography is on the thin side, though Mr. Morris is also his unassuming, inventive best in this act. 


"But in the end, what makes all this weirdness and lovableness important is that "The Hard Nut" -- for all its pudgy unisex snowflakes in trotterlike toe-shoes, its timid mouse-battling G.I. Joe soldiers, its Jell-O colored party cocktails, and on and on -- takes a serious new look at an old classic."-- which is exactly what Mark Morris is. 

The Hard Nut


Dunning, Jennifer. ""Hard Nut" Rethinking by Mark Morris." New York Times 16 Dec 1993: 1. Web. 05 Dec 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/16/arts/review-dance-hard-nut-rethinking-by-mark-morris.html?pagewanted=2>.

Bringin' it Back

The Judson Era, and Postmodern Dance was a time of avant-garde, out of the box, who cares what anyone else thinks? There was absolutely no intent, why dance to the music? Is this even dance? You don't have to be a "dancer" to dance! Who needs a theatre anyway? Let's dance wherever we want! And we're sure as heck not trying to entertain you, or anyone else.

I personally am not a huge fan of postmodern dance. I thank Mark Morris for doing what he did. He brought the dance world back to structure, back to the dance and the music go together. "Morris' musicality is both immediately obvious and long established, his dances often prasied or blamed for their scrupulous attention to score" (Phillips).  He thought dancers should be trained. "But Morris' work has no plot to narrate or dogma to preach; rather, his basic pps help to enact an innocent weirdness, neither condescending nor irrelevant, that permeates just as surely Milhuad's Music" (Phillips).

I would say Mr. Morris and I have very similar views on what being a dancer means. He believes the training of a dancer is very important. The mindset of a trained dancer is much different than the mind of an average person. There is just something about being a dancer, whether its living to move, or the way in which we have all been brought up. The discipline, the hard work, the disappointments, we all have that in common. When you start allowing anyone to dance, then you lose the sense of allegiance and camaraderie that exists between fellow dancers. Also, I love the connection Mr. Morris makes to the music. I don't see the point of dancing to music if you are going to find no connection at all. I love to see every accent, beat, moment, given the proper movement. I believe that great musicality is one of the things that makes a dance stand out.

Mark from the Beginning

Mark Morris was born on August 29, 1956 in Seattle, Washington. He grew up in a very affluent dance studio, that offered ballet, tap, jazz, modern, and even ethnic dancing. The way in which he grew up, much affected the way in which he viewed the dance world, and the opening of the Mark Morris Dance Group. He studied with Verla Flowers and perry Brunson. He performed with many different dance companies throughout his childhood.

In 1980 he created the Mark Morris Dance Group, in which he has created over 120 works for his company. In 1998 he was asked to be the Director of Dance at the Theatre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, the national opera house of Belgium. This was incredible opportunity for Morris. He was given an incredible working space, with an incredible cast of dancers, and plenty of money to make his dreams come true. There is a vast difference between the treatment of dance and the arts in Europe, opposed to the United States. He created three evening-length dances; including The Hard Nut. The Hard Nut was Morris's own idea and vision. He took avery popular dance production and made it his own. He had the resources to do this from the Belgian Opera House.

Mark Morris often showed his talents as a ballet choreographer. He founded the White Oak Dance Project with Mikhail Baryshnikov in 1990. Morris created seven works for the San Francisco Ballet, as well as numerous other ballet companies. He also worked closely with opera companies including the Metropolitan Opera, and the New York City Opera. He has received numerous awards and honors

To this day the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, New York, which opened in September of 2001, is an incredible place for dancers. It gives home to the Mark Morris Dance Company,  provides rehearsal space for others in the dance community, and is the home of Mark's school  offering dance classes to students of all ages.