Northrop at the University of Minnesota presents Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) in a one-night-only engagement on Wed, Mar 30 at 7:30 pm. Renowned choreographer Mark Morris and his unparalleled Dance Group and MMDG Music Ensemble return to the Twin Cities with Dido and Aeneas, one of Morris's most celebrated works. Using not only his dancers to tell the story, the production features a live orchestra, soloists, chorus, and Morris himself in the role of conductor, to present the story of Henry Purcell's classic Baroque opera.
Northrop Presents
Mark Morris Dance Group
Wed, Mar 30, 7:30 pm
Carlson Family Stage
Founded in New York in 1980, the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) has the rare distinction of being the only modern dance company committed to having live music accompany each performance.
Artistic Director Mark Morris has been hailed as "the most prodigiously gifted choreographer of the post-Balanchine era" by Time Magazine, and has created nearly 130 works for his contemporary company. Morris began his career performing with the notable companies of Lar Lubovitch, Laura Dean, and Eliot Feld, to name a few, before being named the Director of Dance at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels. In 1990 he formed the White Oak Dance Project with Mikhail Baryshnikov before starting a company of this own in 1980.
Noted for his musicality, Morris not only choreographed countless works, but has also conducted the score to a select group of his company's performances since 2006.
Premiered in 1987 and inspired by Henry Purcell's 17th-century opera, Morris' Dido and Aeneas re-tells the classic myth of Dido, Queen of Carthage, and Aeneas, leader of the Trojans, as they battle for love. Morris originally cast himself as both Dido and the evil Sorceress that plot's the Queen's demise, and performed the role until 2000. The piece was remounted in celebration of the company's 25th anniversary. The LA Times notes Dido and Aeneas "is a tour de force of late 20th century artistic storytelling... It is a riveting assemblage, one that
smashes and rewrites stylistic boundaries."
A video sample of the evening's program is available here.
TICKETS
Single tickets: $74, $64, $54
(Discounts Available)
Group sales: Groups of 10+ save 15% off original ticket prices or 25% off for schools and educational groups. To purchase group sales tickets, email nropgrps@umn.edu or call Bridget Reddan at 612-625-1578.
Discounted Rush Tickets
$10 for U of M Students
$20 for U of M Staff/Faculty
$20 General Student/Educators
Rush tickets can be purchased online, over the phone, or in person at the Northrop box offices beginning at 10:00 am the day of the performance. Receive two discounted tickets per qualifying person with appropriate I.D. Rush tickets are based on availability.
Videos