Bringing Mark Morris' Vision to Life
by Melissa Marino, Contributing Writer
Mark Morris continues to inspire dancers and dance enthusiasts alike through his artistic excellence, incredible musicality, and innovative choreography. In order for his work to live on for generations to come, his creative vision needs to be maintained by his dancers, both past and present.
One such dancer is Lauren Grant.Grant has been with the company for the past 22 years, making her the longest serving current company member.
“I have learned everything from him,” says Grant. “Through training and just engaging in his work, I have expanded the possibilities of how I can move.”
Grant’s extensive knowledge of Morris’ work has been useful as she restages Empire Garden for this season’s Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. To set the piece, she reviews multiple video recordings, draws from her experience performing the work, and enlists the help of her fellow dancers. Grant and her colleagues work hard to make sure every detail is accurate, but since the work was last performed in 2013, some details may change during the rehearsal process.
“What needs to be acknowledged is it’s a living piece of art so things get codified or even changed over the years,” says Grant. “There has to be an openness by the person staging the dance to not feel like they know everything about the dance. They are serving the work and serving Mark’s vision.”
Along with restaging Morris’ works for the company, former and current company members travel to colleges across the country to teach Morris’ repertory to students.
“I can’t imagine a better learning experience for people. The work itself is very ensemble based. It’s a group of people working together to envision an idea,” says Grant. “When you dance with this deep relationship to others, with a communal approach, and an idea of achieving a goal together, it not only expands how you can dance, it expands your idea of how you might live in the world.”
Haarmann adds, “I think that our art form should be passed down from one generation to the next. A human being danced that role, and if you don’t have a human being telling you what to do next, then it’s not alive anymore.”
Dancers working together to pass down dance is about more than just sharing choreography; it’s about preserving the legacy of an artist so that their work may live on to inspire the next generation.
“I feel changed having watched Morris’ work, and I feel changed having been a part of his work,” says Grant. “And I hope that his work will continue to exist. I think it nourishes its audiences. It inspires people.”
Mark Morris continues to inspire dancers and dance enthusiasts alike through his artistic excellence, incredible musicality, and innovative choreography. In order for his work to live on for generations to come, his creative vision needs to be maintained by his dancers, both past and present.
One such dancer is Lauren Grant.Grant has been with the company for the past 22 years, making her the longest serving current company member.
“I have learned everything from him,” says Grant. “Through training and just engaging in his work, I have expanded the possibilities of how I can move.”
Grant’s extensive knowledge of Morris’ work has been useful as she restages Empire Garden for this season’s Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. To set the piece, she reviews multiple video recordings, draws from her experience performing the work, and enlists the help of her fellow dancers. Grant and her colleagues work hard to make sure every detail is accurate, but since the work was last performed in 2013, some details may change during the rehearsal process.
“What needs to be acknowledged is it’s a living piece of art so things get codified or even changed over the years,” says Grant. “There has to be an openness by the person staging the dance to not feel like they know everything about the dance. They are serving the work and serving Mark’s vision.”
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| Lauren Grant performing Empire Garden at the 2009 Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center. (Photo: Gene Schiavone) |
The Mark Morris Dance Group repertory represents over four decades of Morris’ career. So to effectively restage Morris’ earlier works, former company members are invited back. Teri Weksler, a founding company member, returned last year to set One Charming Night on Sarah Haarmann and Dallas McMurray. As of 2018, it had not been performed in 20 years. The duet was originally danced by Weksler and Morris in 1985. Having Weksler return helped the current dancers bring new life to the work.
“One of my favorite things about working with former company members is not just learning the steps it’s the little insights,” says Haarmann. “For instance, a heel rock isn’t just a heel rock, it’s that you’re waiting for someone. Teri’s insight all of a sudden changed my focus from the action to the story.”
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| (L-R) Two generations performing One Charming Night, Mark Morris and Teri Weksler in 1985 and Dallas McMurray and Sarah Haarmann in 2018. (Photos: Beatriz Schiller, Nan Melville) |
Along with restaging Morris’ works for the company, former and current company members travel to colleges across the country to teach Morris’ repertory to students.
“I can’t imagine a better learning experience for people. The work itself is very ensemble based. It’s a group of people working together to envision an idea,” says Grant. “When you dance with this deep relationship to others, with a communal approach, and an idea of achieving a goal together, it not only expands how you can dance, it expands your idea of how you might live in the world.”
Haarmann adds, “I think that our art form should be passed down from one generation to the next. A human being danced that role, and if you don’t have a human being telling you what to do next, then it’s not alive anymore.”
Dancers working together to pass down dance is about more than just sharing choreography; it’s about preserving the legacy of an artist so that their work may live on to inspire the next generation.
“I feel changed having watched Morris’ work, and I feel changed having been a part of his work,” says Grant. “And I hope that his work will continue to exist. I think it nourishes its audiences. It inspires people.”
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