Boston Globe review: "Darkness and Light with Mark Morris"

 
Amber Star Merkens (foreground) dances in last
night's world premiere of Petrichor

Thea Singer's review of last night's opening night performance by the Mark Morris Dance Group is in late editions of the print edition, but it is online. Here is an excerpt:

"'Petrichor,' a world premiere for eight women, is danced to Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos’s 'String Quartet No. 2,' for violin, viola, and cello. The title describes the scent arising after a rain, especially on dry ground. It’s apropos, because the dancers seem to dance not on but between the notes, as if dodging raindrops."

Read all of Thea Singer's review.

The Mark Morris Dance Group performs through this Sunday at the Cutler Majestic Theatre.

Mark Morris talks with Globe about world premiere

Laura Collins-Hughes spoke with choreographer Mark Morris for Boston Sunday Globe about his new Celebrity Series of Boston commission, Petrichor:

"I love making up titles. You know, it's interesting because it makes people tempted to think that something has a relevance that it either does or doesn't have. There's a dance we do called 'A Lake,' and I just called it 'A Lake' because it occurred to me that I should call a dance 'A Lake.' There’s no lake in the dance. But, you know, 'petrichor,' it's a fabulous word that I'd never heard before. The dance is, first of all, it's for all women. There's eight women in the dance, and it's this amazing piece of music that’s very under-known and a very tricky, beautiful piece of music. And, you know, Villa-Lobos was very devoted to his Brazilian heritage. He says that all of his music is Brazilian; it all contains the rain forest. I’m not Brazilian, the dance isn’t a rain forest, and the title seemed to work."

Read the complete article.

Mark Morris Dance Group dances October 14-17 at the Cutler Majestic Theatre. On October 14, Petrichor will receive its world premiere performance at the Cutler Majestic Theatre.

Mark Morris Q&A with the San Francisco Chronicle

Though the pieces the company is performing for their Berkeley engagement are completely different than our Boston program, I feel that a glimpse inside Mark Morris' world is always worth the effort and usually illuminating in general. Morris recently had a chat with San Francisco Chronicle critic Joshua Kosman.

You'll want to read it all, but here is a sample:

Q: Now that you've almost completely retired from dancing, you have this body of work that is being danced by other people. Does that change your relationship to the pieces?

A: My company just keeps getting better - I don't think I could have done "Socrates" in the past because it's so difficult. The dancers in my company are doing roles that I used to dance, and some of them, for me, were almost impossible conceptually.

One of the most complicated pieces I ever made was to a little Mozart piano rondo. I recently taught it to some women in my company, and they learned it in half an hour. So as long as I stay out of the way, everything works.

Read the complete article.

The Mark Morris Dance Group opens the Celebrity Series of Boston season on October 14 at the Cutler Majestic Theatre. The engagement includes the world premiere of Petrichor. That's right, I said world premiere.

"Morris on Mozart" photos on Flickr and tweets on Twitter

Mark Morris onstage at Sanders Theatre during Morris on Mozart

Check out more photos by our man Robert Torres on the Celebrity Series of Boston Flickr page.

Check out Twitter coverage of "Morris on Mozart" at Twitter hashtag: #markmorris.

And don't forget the Mark Morris Dance Group with Emmanuel Music, conductor Jane Glover and pianists Russell Sherman and Minsoo Sohn at the Boston Opera House Fri-Sun, January 29-31.

Richard Dyer interviewed for Harvard Arts Beat

Harvard University's Alicia Anstead interviewed Richard Dyer (Harvard '64) for Harvard Arts Beat in advance of Dyer's interview with Mark Morris, callend "Morris on Mozart," this Wednesday night (January 27) at Sanders Theatre on the Harvard campus.

Here is Alicia's interview with Richard Dyer.

The tickets for Morris on Mozart are free but require a reservation. Click here or call the Harvard Box Office (617) 496-2222.

This is, of course, is in advance of the Mark Morris Dance Group's "Mozart Dances" engagement at The Boston Opera House January 29-31.

"Morris on Mozart" - Mark chats with critic Richard Dyer at Sanders (Free)

Morris on Mozart

Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at 7pm

Sanders Theatre

45 Quincy Street, Cambridge MA



Hear celebrated choreographer Mark Morris in conversation with
journalist and classical music critic Richard Dyer. Morris, known for
his eclectic musical tastes from classical to country, will discuss music and
his work.



Admission is FREE but tickets are required. Two per person.



Available by phone only through the Harvard Box Office at Holyoke Center,
Harvard Square (Wed-Sun, 12-6pm):

617.496.222 (TTY 617.495.1642)

Tickets will also be available at the door one hour prior to event,
subject to availability on a first-come, first-served basis.

Presented by OFA Learning From Performers, Celebrity Series of Boston and the Mark Morris Dance Group.

The Mark Morris Dance Group performs Mozart dances January 29-31 at The Boston Opera House.

Interview with Mark Morris plus Mozart Dances rehearsal footage

Mark Morris talks about dance, rehearsal, and choreography in this video from 2007. The clip includes footage of Mark Morris Dance Group rehearsing Mozart Dances.

Mozart Dances (oh by the way) makes its Boston (and Celebrity Series of Boston) debut with the Mark Morris Dance Group (naturally), the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music, conductor Jane Glover and piano soloists Russell Sherman and Minsoo Sohn January 29-31 at The Boston Opera House.

Mark Morris looks out his window

Mark Morris looking out his window

For New Yorkers, peeking in other people's windows has long been a subject for open-minded consideration, a fact of life to be considered rather than an embarassment (or at least for some). “Out My Window NYC,” a new series of photographs by Gail Albert Halaban, and “The City Out My Window: 63 Views on New York,” a book of drawings by
Matteo Pericoli that asks well-known New Yorkers to describe what they
see from their windows, both take on the subject of what New Yorkers see out their windows. Mark Morris, this blog discovered, participated in the project:

"Mark Morris, the choreographer and dancer, whose view is included in 'The City Out My Window,' said he regards the building across from his
home on Third Avenue in Manhattan, where people are constantly moving
in and out, as something of a cineplex. 'There’s an empty apartment,
and I see the new people, some couple, come in,' Mr. Morris, 53, said. 'Then they cover the windows. Then you can’t tell from across the
street if they’re male or female — and they’re naked, which is always
interesting. Then a few weeks later, it’s empty again.'"

Read all of the  New York Times article, Window Watchers in a City of Strangers.

Mark Morris talks with The Guardian

Mark Morris

Entertaining, incisive, smart, honest - the only problem with Mark Morris' answers for interviewer's questions is that there are never enough of them:

"The Guardian: Who would you most like to work with?

Morris: This is
worrisome. If I say somebody who's around today, then I'll get a phone
call from their agent. So I'll have George Frideric Handel, because he
taught me everything I know, but isn't around to take the credit."

Read all of Portrait of the Artist: Mark Morris, choreographer.

The Mark Morris Dance group will perform Mozart Dances with the orchestra of Emmanuel Music, conducted by Jane Glover with piano soloists Russell Sherman and Minsoo Sohn January 29-31 at the Boston Opera House.