Celebrating 45 years of groundbreaking artistry, the MARK MORRIS DANCE GROUP (MMDG) continues to inspire, innovate, and connect through the power of dance. Founded in 1980, the company made its debut in New York City and quickly rose to prominence with a touring schedule that expanded across the U.S. and around the globe. In 1986, MMDG captivated national audiences with its first television appearance on PBS’s Dance in America, and just two years later, it was named the national dance company of Belgium, enjoying a prestigious three-year residency at Brussels’ Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie. Returning to the U.S. in 1991, MMDG solidified its reputation as one of the world’s leading dance companies.
MMDG has a long and celebrated history of performing at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Since 1984, the company has performed at BAM for 37 seasons and continues to appear regularly. MMDG also has a 20-year legacy of performing at Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart and White Light Festivals and will soon be presenting its 3rd annual summer season at The Joyce. The company also maintains deep-rooted partnerships with major cultural institutions, including its West Coast home, Cal Performances in Berkeley, and its Midwest home at the Krannert Center at the University of Illinois.
MMDG’s international acclaim includes two Laurence Olivier Awards and a Critics’ Circle Dance Award for Best Foreign Dance Company, earned during its celebrated London seasons. True to founder Mark Morris’s vision, the company has performed with live music at every show since the creation of the MMDG Music Ensemble in 1996. Collaborations with world-renowned artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Emanuel Ax, Stephanie Blythe, and Ethan Iverson, as well as leading orchestras have become hallmarks of the company’s performances.
MMDG also boasts a rich history of interdisciplinary collaborations with visual artists and designers including Robert Bordo, Howard Hodgkin, Adrianne Lobel, Allen Moyer, Isaac Mizrahi, and Martin Pakledinaz. Its film and television work includes Dido and Aeneas, Falling Down Stairs, and PBS’s Great Performances broadcast of The Hard Nut, Mozart Dances and L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato.
Beyond the stage, MMDG is deeply committed to community engagement, offering inclusive arts and humanities programs at home and on tour. In 2001, the Mark Morris Dance Center opened in Brooklyn, NY to provide a home for the Dance Group and its Dance for PD program, subsidized rental space for local artists, and dance classes for students of all ages and abilities.
