Yesterday we talked a little about Mark Morris Dance Group and what makes their company unique. Today we've got a Q&A with some of the members and we get to see what makes them unique as individuals!

Grand Duo by Marc Royce 

Mark Morris

1. You’ve produced over 130 dances for the MMDG; where do you draw your inspiration from?  Is it ever difficult to come up with something “new” to say?

All of my work: for my company, for ballet companies, and in opera, comes from music.  Music is the engine that drives me. I don’t know if I’ve ever come up with anything “new”.  I just try not to repeat myself too obviously. 

2. What style of dance is your favorite to watch? Perform?

I love to watch Indian Classical dance. I love folk dance and social dancing, waltz, Polka, Schottisch

3. If you were not a dancer today, what profession would you have chosen?

I would be a singer - a baritone 

4. All this touring…what’s your least favorite form of transportation/traveling?

It’s called an airplane and it is a nightmare.

MMDG Dancer: Lauren Grant

1. What made your first realize you wanted to pursue a career as a dancer?  

It was love at first plié.  Apparently, after my first dance class at three years of age, I asked my parents if I could return the following day.When I attended performances of the ballet at Chicago’s grand Auditorium Theater the magical experience transported me. I also remember being moved in this way when, in 1995, I first saw Mark Morris’ L’Allegro, il Penseroso, ed il Moderato at Lincoln Center.  From that performance I knew I wanted to dance in his company.

2. Do you keep with current trending moves ie: The Bernie, The Dougie, The Spongebob etc.

I do not follow much of the current popular trends—be it movies, music, or gaming.  I’m a bit old-fashioned at heart.

3. What are the last 3 songs you listened to on your Ipod?

Most recently I probably listened to Scriabin etudes, Ella Fitzgerald’s rendition of All The Things You Are, and some selections from Adam Guettel’s The Light In The Piazza.

4. All this touring….what’s your least favorite form of transportation/traveling?

I do not enjoy any form of transportation.  Flying has always made me nervous; buses are claustrophobic; and cars make me sick.  Sitting for prolonged periods in all of them promote muscle and joint stiffness—not a pleasant side-effect for a dancer.  I wish I could travel by bicycle to each tour destination!

MMDG Dancer: Samuel Black

1. What venue that you have performed in was your favorite?  And why?

We've performed in some really beautiful theaters around the world, and at some pretty unusual and funky ones in smaller towns.  We've performed at several outdoor theaters, which always add a degree of spontaneity (sun, wind, extra noise...).  I have very fond memories of performing at the New York State Theater in Manhattan, since it was the first theater that I ever performed with MMDG in.

2. As an artist, how do you define success? 

I think it's really satisfying to return to a dance that you haven't worked on in a while.  As dancers, we have very strong muscle memory, so it's often easy to remember how it USED to feel to do a certain dance.  When you have the opportunity to approach that same dance as a more proficient dancer and artist, you can really get a sense for how much you've grown.  Since you already know the steps, you can delve deeper into the experience of performing it.

3. If you were not a dancer today, what profession would you have chosen?

I love food, so I'd consider going into something in the culinary field.  Maybe not as a chef, but as a food writer or restaurant critic.  What's better than being paid to eat delicious food?

4. All this touring….what’s your least favorite form of transportation/traveling?

Until recently, reading on a bus made me carsick, so that made some of our longer bus rides pretty tedious. Since I'd guess that most people don't LOVE taking the bus, we try to make the longer rides fun. Our best idea was the Bus-B-Q, which is a potluck on wheels.

MMDG Dancer: Aaron Loux

1. As an artist, how do you define success?

Success is enjoying what you do and committing yourself to it.  

2. Do you keep with current trending moves ie: The Bernie, The Dougie, The Spongebob etc. 

No. I only recognize the name Spongebob. 

3. What made your first realize you wanted to pursue a career as a dancer?

I danced through the entire summer before my last year of high school. It showed me that dancing, which had previously been a hobby I loved, could be as a profession demanding, intellectually stimulating, and intensely rewarding.

4. All this touring….what’s your least favorite form of transportation/traveling?

Traveling by bus can be pretty uncomfortable. However, it's wonderful when we're driving though a beautiful place, like when we drove down along the California coast from Arcadia to Davis.