Penn Live Arts Recommends Dance

As our inaugural Artist-in-Residence, Mark Morris' preeminent modern dance company graced our stage in 2018, marking the group’s triumphant return to Philadelphia after 14 years. Known for its exceptional dancers, sophisticated choreography and live music, the company has many iconic works that have been seen around the world frequently throughout its 40-year history. In fact, Morris has choreographed 185 works, but some were performed only a handful of times or even just for a single performance. Luckily, many of these lesser known works were captured on video, and now, at a time when we can’t gather to enjoy live performances, Morris is releasing curated archival collections that provide a rare chance to rediscover dances from the company’s history. The first collection, entitled “The Early Years,” is available for viewing through July 19 and features full-length dances from the 1980s, each introduced by Morris himself. As part of this Dance On! Video Vault series, the company plans to release additional collections later in the summer, so stay tuned for those as well.

The Early Years Collection (1980-1988):

Dad’s Charts (performed at Cunningham Studios, November 29, 1980)

Canonic 3/4 Studies (performed at Dance Theater Workshop, December 18, 1983)

Strict Songs (performed at BAM, May 19, 1988)