Mark Morris Dance Group graces Quick Center stage

Lights dim and the curtain opens as the calming echo of the cello sounds throughout the Quick Centers. In a crowd 75 people shy of a full house, fellow dancers, students and community members intensely watched the stage as the Mark Morris Dance Group.

The opening piece by Mark Morris, “The Argument” focuses on three different couples. Brilliantly choreographed with the repetition of certain movements brought all three couples together at different points within the piece.

Without dipping into the lyrical style of dance, the choreography allowed the couples to express their emotions through many different types and speeds of movement.

The piece that best boasts the modern dance style is the closing piece “Grand Duo.” Starting with 14 dancers under a single spotlight horizontal to the stage, “Grand Duo” used precise and synchronized movement, as well as elaborate costumes, to begin the dance as a whole.

As the piece progressed, the dancers randomly changed costumes to help bring the intensity of the music and choreography to a high point of breath taking performance.

While the dancers graced the stage with wonderful pieces as “The Argument” and “Grand Duo,” the second piece of the program the “Candle Flower Dance” left many puzzled and disappointed at their inability to interpret what it meant.

With a square of tape on the middle of the stage, candles and flowers to the side, the dance’s title only gave the audience physical hints to the meaning. Dance, however, doesn’t always have to be interpreted in every case.

During the question and answer segment, a member of the audience asked if the “Grand Duo” was meant to be funny. “I don’t find that dance very funny,” said Morris.

With his sarcastic yet funny remarks, Morris told audience that modern dance doesn’t need to be one way or the other or “unusual” and strange movements are the “language of the dance.”

As an innovator and revered member of the dance world, Morris uses ballet inspired shorter pieces to make modern dance more exciting. He said his main joy in life “is to work with [his] dance group.”

The Mark Morris Dance Group brought half of the audience to their feet last Saturday night and appreciation of his work was evident in their applause.