For 25 years the Mark Morris Dance Group has thrilled audiences with its unique artistry, reflecting a profound and sophisticated love of music. Morris’ wit, grace, and refined musicality have made him one of the most highly regarded choreographers of our time. The company’s month-long season at BAM revels in the choreographer’s vast creative range, featuring large-scale dances and operas, a film series curated by Morris, BAMcafé Llive concerts, humanities events, and more.
Three different programs in the Howard Gilman Opera House begin with an exciting evening of full-company works and features Morris in his conducting debut. Program A includes “V,” a dance that exults in things profoundly mortal as well as divine; the hugely popular “Grand Duo,” inspired by Lou Harrison’s bracing score for violin and piano; and Morris conducting “Gloria,” a heroic piece.
Dance and opera lovers will be delighted by Program B featuring two fully danced short operas—Morris’ bold and brash conception of Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas,” and his joyous interpretation of Virgil Thomson/Gertrude Stein’s “Four Saints in Three Acts.”
Program C includes two New York premieres, “Cargo,” set to Darius Milhaud’s mysterious “La Création du Monde,” and “Candleflowerdance,” set to Stravinsky’s “Serenade in A, as well as the clever and poignant “Going Away Party,” performed with a live Western swing band, and the austere and intense “All Fours.” All of the programs feature live music.
At BAMcinématek, Morris will curate “Morris & Movies,” a series of films he counts among his favorites, preceded by shorts featuring Morris and his company. Every weekend in March, BAMcafé Live presents “The Month of Mark,” featuring the music that moves Morris—a truly global spectrum, including Balkan, Western Swing, Lou Harrison, and karaoke hosted by Morris himself. Two humanities events allow you to hear from Morris directly—a BAMtalk features him in conversation with several of his collaborators including designer Isaac Mizrahi, painter Robert Bordo, and illustrator Maira Kalman; and a BAMdialogue features Morris interviewed by The New Yorker music critic Alex Ross.
All month at BAM, 718-636-4100 or bam.org.
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