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.