Bruce Marks (ballet)
Encyclopedia
Not to be confused with the former US Senator, Bruce Marks
.
Bruce Marks (Ballet): Acclaimed as one of America’s most important Artistic Directors, Bruce Marks career spans the second half of the twentieth century. Marks is a world renowned dancer, performing both in ballet and modern dance. He continues to work as a choreographer, coach and teacher is a tireless advocate for the art form.
, and at age 14, created the role of the young boy in Pearl Lang
’s Ironic Rite. (Later Rites ) Through his teen years, he performed with Pearl Lang's company, creating roles in Lang's , And Joy Is My Witness, Nightflight, Apasionado, Black Marigolds, and Shira. Marks continued his studies at Brandeis University
(1954-1955) and The Juilliard School
(1955-1956), where he studied with Margaret Craske, Alfredo Corvino
, Mattlyn Gavers, and Antony Tudor
--who became his mentor.
Ballet. He was soon singled out for principal roles. After appearing in a ballet evening in 1959 at The Met dancing Adam in John Butler
’s In The Beginning Marks was invited to appeared at the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds as a member of a company organized by Herbert Ross
and John Butler.
Metropolitan Opera
Company, Marks danced principal roles in:
--AND--
’s Etudes as well as the leading role of Prince Siegfried in ABT’s first full-length production of Swan Lake
. In 1968 Marks performed the role of Hilarion in the American Ballet Theater’s film of Giselle
.
Roles performed by Marks at American Ballet Theater:
., He made his debut as such in May, 1971 at the Danish Ballet and Music Festival dancing Paul Taylor’s Aureole. It was the first time a modern trained artist had done the work in Copenhagen and he received rave reviews. The next evening he took on the role of James in the 19th century work by Danish classic, La Sylphide
, by August Bournonville
and astounded with his versatility.
Marks ended his performing career in 1976 in Denmark taking on his first artistic directorship with Ballet West
in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Marks danced principal roles at theRoyal Danish Ballet
in:
Choreography for The Royal Danish Ballet: Dichterliebe
, Asylum
, Tancredi
(Opera).
at the invitation of its founder, Willam Christensen
. Following Christensen’s retirement in 1978, Marks was named Artistic Director. The company flourished under Marks’ direction, and his distinctive stamp was made with the addition of new works to the company's repertory from Bournonville and Balanchine to the 19th century master works as well as modern dance classics.
In 1985, Marks and Toni Lander recreated and staged the “lost” 1855 Bournonville ballet, Abdallah for Ballet West, to great acclaim. The production had its East Coast premiere at Washington’s Kennedy Center, on May 1, 1985, and the critics raved. "Abdallah is a triumph!” cheered the Boston Globe. The Wall Street Journal declared, “That it communicates such broad meanings and does so, moreover, with such effortless charm, is the great achievement of Bruce Marks.” In 1986, Marks staged Abdallah for the Royal Danish Ballet
, the company for whom the work was originally created, and in 1990, he brought the production to Boston Ballet
.
When he was appointed Artistic Director and CEO (combining the jobs was a first in the world of ballet) he eradicated the company’s debt which was then 50% of the budget. During his tenure, the Company’s annual budget and attendance tripled. Under his dynamic leadership Boston Ballet achieved international acclaim and built a reputation for performing authentic versions of the classics and for encouraging daring modern works. In 1991, in Boston’s South End, Marks opened a new facility that continues to be one of the country’s leading centers for dance and dance education. His time in Boston had many highlights: an unprecedented American/Soviet production of Swan Lake
; the companies 1990 debut at Washington’s Kennedy Center; a 1991 five-city tour of Spain; and in 1993, to inaugurate its 30th season, a highly-acclaimed version of The Sleeping Beauty. Following a second Kennedy Center engagement in March 1994, Boston Ballet
became the first American company to perform John Cranko
’s Onegin. In 1995, Mark's added Cranko's The Taming of the Shrew to the company's repertory, followed in 1997 by Michael Corder’s award-winning Cinderella. Marks mounted the world’s most popular production of The Nutcracker
. Continuing to add to Boston's repertory, he brought the oldest existing version of Coppélia
from The Royal Danish Ballet
plus a traditional Russian production of Giselle
, staged by Anna-Marie Holmes and coached by the legendary Natalia Dudinskaya
of the Kirov Ballet.
Encouraging young american choreographers was one of Marks’ major thrusts as Director. As such, he commissioned works by Danny Buraczeski, Bill T. Jones, Ralph Lemon, Monica Levy, Susan Marshall, Bebe Miller, Daniel Pelzig and Lila York. He also added works by Merce Cunningham and Twyla Tharp
.
In July of 1998, Marks stepped down from his post at Boston Ballet to become Artistic Director Emeritus.
as Chairman of the International Jury of the USA International Ballet Competition
held in Jackson Mississippi, a position he still holds. He served as the American judge at the international competitions in Helsinki, Nagoya, Moscow, and Seoul as well as at the 1994 Prix de Lausanne
in Switzerland.
Dance Panel, and was a member of the NEA’s International Advisory Panel. In 1997 Marks was appointed to the US-USSR Commission on Theatre and Dance Studies of the American Council of Learned Societies
, and to the Theatre Union of the USSR for 1988-89, a commission set up to foster Soviet/American cooperation in the fields of dance history, theory, criticism and practice.
, Asylum
, Inner Space, Don Juan
, Songs of the Valley, Lark Ascending, Sanctus
, Abdallah, Pipe Dreams
, Don Quixote,Continuo I and Continuo II, Inscape
, Shake It Up, Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Straight from the Heart, The Parting, Fragments, La Fille Mal Gardée
(with Samantha Dunster), , et al.
Marks has coached and staged works for American Ballet Theater, The Royal Danish Ballet
, National Ballet of Canada
, NBA Ballet Tokyo, Boston Ballet
, Ballet West
, Kansas City Ballet
, Nevada Ballet Theater, Louisville Ballet
, [Charleston Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Ballet, and others.
Dance Company, and Louisville Ballet.
Bruce Marks
Bruce S. Marks is a former Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate.He appeared to lose a 1993 election for the 2nd senatorial district for the Pennsylvania Senate, but a federal judge declared him the winner of that election after finding that the campaign of William G. Stinson had...
.
Bruce Marks (Ballet): Acclaimed as one of America’s most important Artistic Directors, Bruce Marks career spans the second half of the twentieth century. Marks is a world renowned dancer, performing both in ballet and modern dance. He continues to work as a choreographer, coach and teacher is a tireless advocate for the art form.
The Early Years
Bruce Marks, born in New York City, began his training at age 13 at the New York High School of Performing ArtsHigh School of Performing Arts
The High School of Performing Arts, more formally known as The School of Performing Arts: A Division of the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, informally known as "PA", was a public alternative high school in New York, New York, USA that existed from 1948 through...
, and at age 14, created the role of the young boy in Pearl Lang
Pearl Lang
Pearl Lang was an American dancer, choreographer and teacher renowned as an interpreter and propagator of the choreography style of Martha Graham, and also for her own longtime dance company, the Pearl Lang Dance Theater....
’s Ironic Rite. (Later Rites ) Through his teen years, he performed with Pearl Lang's company, creating roles in Lang's , And Joy Is My Witness, Nightflight, Apasionado, Black Marigolds, and Shira. Marks continued his studies at Brandeis University
Brandeis University
Brandeis University is an American private research university with a liberal arts focus. It is located in the southwestern corner of Waltham, Massachusetts, nine miles west of Boston. The University has an enrollment of approximately 3,200 undergraduate and 2,100 graduate students. In 2011, it...
(1954-1955) and The Juilliard School
Juilliard School
The Juilliard School, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City, United States, is a performing arts conservatory which was established in 1905...
(1955-1956), where he studied with Margaret Craske, Alfredo Corvino
Alfredo Corvino
Alfredo Corvino was an accomplished dancer who became a highly-regarded master ballet teacher.Corvino was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and studied violin with his father who was a member of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Montevideo...
, Mattlyn Gavers, and Antony Tudor
Antony Tudor
Antony Tudor was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer.-Biography:Tudor, born William Cook, discovered dance accidentally. He began dancing professionally with Marie Rambert in 1928, becoming general assistant for her Ballet Club the next year...
--who became his mentor.
The Metropolitan Opera Company
At Tudor's suggestion in 1956, Marks joined the Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
Ballet. He was soon singled out for principal roles. After appearing in a ballet evening in 1959 at The Met dancing Adam in John Butler
John Butler
-Arts and Entertainment:*John "Picayune" Butler , American performer*John Butler , American artist*John Butler , member of the English alternative rock band Diesel Park West...
’s In The Beginning Marks was invited to appeared at the Spoleto Festival of Two Worlds as a member of a company organized by Herbert Ross
Herbert Ross
Herbert Ross was an American film director, producer, choreographer and actor.-Early life and career:Born Herbert David Ross in Brooklyn, New York, he made his stage debut as Third Witch with a touring company of Macbeth in 1942...
and John Butler.
Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
Company, Marks danced principal roles in:
- AidaAidaAida sometimes spelled Aïda, is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni, based on a scenario written by French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette...
- AlcestisAlcestisAlcestis is a princess in Greek mythology, known for her love of her husband. Her story was popularised in Euripides's tragedy Alcestis. She was the daughter of Pelias, king of Iolcus, and either Anaxibia or Phylomache....
- CarmenCarmenCarmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
- La Giaconda
- The Gypsy BaronThe Gypsy BaronThe Gypsy Baron is an operetta in three acts by Johann Strauss II which premiered at the Theater an der Wien on 24 October 1885. Its libretto was by the author Ignaz Schnitzer and in turn was based on Sáffi by Mór Jókai. During the composer's lifetime, the operetta enjoyed great success, second...
- Lucia de Lammermoor
--AND--
- RigolettoRigolettoRigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
- La Forza del DestinoLa forza del destinoLa forza del destino is an Italian opera by Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on a Spanish drama, Don Álvaro o la fuerza del sino , by Ángel de Saavedra, Duke of Rivas, with a scene adapted from Friedrich Schiller's Wallensteins Lager. It was first performed...
- Les contes d'HoffmannLes contes d'HoffmannLes contes d'Hoffmann is an opéra by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on short stories by E. T. A...
- La TraviataLa traviataLa traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
- Eugene OneginEugene OneginEugene Onegin is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin.It is a classic of Russian literature, and its eponymous protagonist has served as the model for a number of Russian literary heroes . It was published in serial form between 1825 and 1832...
- FaustFaustFaust is the protagonist of a classic German legend; a highly successful scholar, but also dissatisfied with his life, and so makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for unlimited knowledge and worldly pleasures. Faust's tale is the basis for many literary, artistic, cinematic, and musical...
- Die Meistersinger von NurnbergDie Meistersinger von NürnbergDie Meistersinger von Nürnberg is an opera in three acts, written and composed by Richard Wagner. It is among the longest operas still commonly performed today, usually taking around four and a half hours. It was first performed at the Königliches Hof- und National-Theater in Munich, on June 21,...
- Orfeo ed EuridiceOrfeo ed EuridiceOrfeo ed Euridice is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck based on the myth of Orpheus, set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the azione teatrale, meaning an opera on a mythological subject with choruses and dancing...
- Samson et Dalila
- TannhauserTannhäuserTannhäuser was a German Minnesänger and poet. Historically, his biography is obscure beyond the poetry, which dates between 1245 and 1265...
American Ballet Theater
In 1961, again at the suggestion of Tudor, Marks joined The American Ballet Theater. He soon became one of the most respected and versatile of ABT’s male contingent, excelling in both modern and classical ballets, and was quickly promoted to principal dancer. He created one of the leading male roles in the American premiere of Harald LanderHarald Lander
Harald Lander is a Danish dancer, choreographer and artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet.Lander started as a dancer, studying under ballet master Michel Fokine in 1926-27...
’s Etudes as well as the leading role of Prince Siegfried in ABT’s first full-length production of Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
. In 1968 Marks performed the role of Hilarion in the American Ballet Theater’s film of Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
.
Roles performed by Marks at American Ballet Theater:
- Theme and Variations
- Grand Pas Glazanov
- Billy the KidBilly the KidWilliam H. Bonney William H. Bonney William H. Bonney (born William Henry McCarty, Jr. est. November 23, 1859 – c. July 14, 1881, better known as Billy the Kid but also known as Henry Antrim, was a 19th-century American gunman who participated in the Lincoln County War and became a frontier...
- Pillar of FirePillar of FirePillar of Fire can refer to* Pillar of Fire , a manifestation of God in the Tanakh* Pillar of Fire Church, a religious community in Zarephath, New Jersey* Pillar of Fire by Judith Tarr* Pillar of Fire by Antony Tudor...
- Dark Elegies
- Gala Performance
- Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
- Etudes
- Miss JulieMiss JulieMiss Julie is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg dealing with class, love, lust, the battle of the sexes, and the interaction among them...
- Moon Reindeer
- Sargasso
- Gaite ParisienneGaîté ParisienneGaîté parisienne is a 1938 ballet based on music by Jacques Offenbach, arranged by Manuel Rosenthal. The ballet had the original title of Tortoni, after a Paris café, but Rosenthal recalled that Count Étienne de Beaumont, the ballet's librettist, later came up with the ballet's eventual...
- AlekoAlekoThe Moskvitch 2141, commonly referred to as simply Aleko , is a Russian small class, third group hatchback car that was first announced in 1985 and...
- A Rose for Miss Emily
- Tally Ho
- ConcertoConcertoA concerto is a musical work usually composed in three parts or movements, in which one solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.The etymology is uncertain, but the word seems to have originated from the conjunction of the two Latin words...
- Swan LakeSwan LakeSwan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
- Sleeping beautySleeping BeautySleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
- At MidnightAt MidnightAt Midnight is a 1913 American silent short film written by Gordon V. May starring Harry Van Meter, Violet Neitz, Louise Lester, Jack Richardson and Vivian Rich....
- Balladen Der Liebe
- Helen of Troy
- CoppeliaCoppéliaCoppélia is a sentimental comic ballet with original choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon to a ballet libretto by Saint-Léon and Charles Nuitter and music by Léo Delibes. It was based upon two macabre stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Der Sandmann , and Die Puppe...
- ElectraElectraIn Greek mythology, Electra was an Argive princess and daughter of King Agamemnon and Queen Clytemnestra. She and her brother Orestes plotted revenge against their mother Clytemnestra and stepfather Aegisthus for the murder of their father Agamemnon...
- Jardin Aux Lilas
- The Moor's Pavane The Moor's PavaneThe Moor's Pavane is a 20-minute ballet based upon the tragedy Othello by William Shakespeare. The ballet was choreographed by José Limón to music arranged by Simon Sadoff from Henry Purcell's Abdelazer, The Gordion Knot Untied, and the pavane from Pavane and Chaconne for Strings. The ballet's four...
- Petrouchka
- Ricecare
- The Taming
- Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux
The Royal Danish Ballet
After twice appearing as guest artist with the company Marks was invited to become the first American principal dancer of The Royal Danish BalletRoyal Danish Ballet
The Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
., He made his debut as such in May, 1971 at the Danish Ballet and Music Festival dancing Paul Taylor’s Aureole. It was the first time a modern trained artist had done the work in Copenhagen and he received rave reviews. The next evening he took on the role of James in the 19th century work by Danish classic, La Sylphide
La Sylphide
La Sylphide is one of the world's oldest surviving romantic ballets. There were two versions of the ballet; the version choreographed by the Danish balletmaster August Bournonville is the only version known to have survived....
, by August Bournonville
August Bournonville
August Bournonville was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. August was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the nephew of Julie Alix de la Fay, née Bournonville, of the Royal Swedish Ballet.August was...
and astounded with his versatility.
Marks ended his performing career in 1976 in Denmark taking on his first artistic directorship with Ballet West
Ballet West
Ballet West, Salt Lake City, Utah was founded in 1963 by Glenn Walker Wallace, who served as its first president. It was called the Utah Civic Ballet company. Willam F...
in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Marks danced principal roles at theRoyal Danish Ballet
Royal Danish Ballet
The Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
in:
- La SylphideLa SylphideLa Sylphide is one of the world's oldest surviving romantic ballets. There were two versions of the ballet; the version choreographed by the Danish balletmaster August Bournonville is the only version known to have survived....
- Napoli
- Far From Denmark
- Aureole
- PrismPrism-Science and mathematics:* Prism , a transparent object which refracts light** Dispersive prism, the most familiar type of optical prism* Prism , a kind of polyhedron* Prism , a type of sedimentary deposit-Books, comics and magazines:...
- TrioTrio- Musical ensembles and forms :*Trio , three people performing music in some way*Piano trio *String trio *Trio *Clarinet-violin-piano trio...
- RigolettoRigolettoRigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
- The Triumph of DeathThe Triumph of DeathThe Triumph of Death is an oil painting on panel, painted c. 1562 by Pieter Bruegel the Elder. It is in the Museo del Prado in Madrid.The painting is a panoramic landscape: the sky in the distance is blackened by smoke from burning cities and the sea is littered with shipwrecks. Armies of...
- Romeo and JulietRomeo and JulietRomeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
- The NutcrackerThe NutcrackerThe Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
- Miss JulieMiss JulieMiss Julie is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg dealing with class, love, lust, the battle of the sexes, and the interaction among them...
- Moon Reindeer
- A Touch of the PoetA Touch of the PoetA Touch of the Poet is a play by Eugene O'Neill.It and its sequel, More Stately Mansions, were intended to be part of a nine-play cycle entitled A Tale of Possessors Self-Dispossessed...
- The Moor's PavaneThe Moor's PavaneThe Moor's Pavane is a 20-minute ballet based upon the tragedy Othello by William Shakespeare. The ballet was choreographed by José Limón to music arranged by Simon Sadoff from Henry Purcell's Abdelazer, The Gordion Knot Untied, and the pavane from Pavane and Chaconne for Strings. The ballet's four...
et al. - Winter's Court
Choreography for The Royal Danish Ballet: Dichterliebe
Dichterliebe
Dichterliebe, 'The Poet's Love' , is the best-known song cycle of Robert Schumann . The texts for the 16 songs come from the Lyrisches Intermezzo of Heinrich Heine, composed 1822–1823, published as part of the poet's Das Buch der Lieder. Following the song-cycles of Franz Schubert , those of...
, Asylum
Asylum
- Politics and society :* Asylum , places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome* Right of asylum or political asylum* Church asylum or sanctuary, a right to be safe from arrest in the sanctuary of a church or temple...
, Tancredi
Tancredi
Tancredi is a melodramma eroico in two acts by composer Gioachino Rossini and librettist Gaetano Rossi, based on Voltaire's play Tancrède...
(Opera).
As Guest Artist
Marks has danced as Guest Artist with:- London Festival Ballet
- Grand Theatre de GeneveGrand Théâtre de GenèveGrand Théâtre de Genève is an opera house in Geneva, Switzerland.As with many other opera houses, the Grand Théâtre de Genève is both a venue and an institution. The venue is a majestic building, towering over Place Neuve, officially opened in 1876, partly destroyed by fire in 1951 and reopened in...
- Les Grands Ballets CanadiensLes Grands Ballets CanadiensLes Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal is a Canadian ballet company based in Montreal, Quebec.It was founded in 1957 by Ludmilla Chiriaeff. Conductor and composer Michel Perrault served as the organization's first music director. In 2000, Gradimir Pankov became Artistic Director...
de Montreal - The Royal Swedish BalletRoyal Swedish BalletThe Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this field; he also founded the Royal Swedish Opera and the...
- The Royal Danish BalletRoyal Danish BalletThe Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
- Teatro Municipal Firenze, Maggio Musicale
At Ballet West
By 1976, Marks became Co-Artistic Director of Ballet WestBallet West
Ballet West, Salt Lake City, Utah was founded in 1963 by Glenn Walker Wallace, who served as its first president. It was called the Utah Civic Ballet company. Willam F...
at the invitation of its founder, Willam Christensen
Willam Christensen
Willam Farr Christensen was an American ballet dancer, choreographer and founder of the San Francisco Ballet and Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is known for bringing the complete version of the Russian ballet The Nutcracker to the United States, as well as staging the first American...
. Following Christensen’s retirement in 1978, Marks was named Artistic Director. The company flourished under Marks’ direction, and his distinctive stamp was made with the addition of new works to the company's repertory from Bournonville and Balanchine to the 19th century master works as well as modern dance classics.
In 1985, Marks and Toni Lander recreated and staged the “lost” 1855 Bournonville ballet, Abdallah for Ballet West, to great acclaim. The production had its East Coast premiere at Washington’s Kennedy Center, on May 1, 1985, and the critics raved. "Abdallah is a triumph!” cheered the Boston Globe. The Wall Street Journal declared, “That it communicates such broad meanings and does so, moreover, with such effortless charm, is the great achievement of Bruce Marks.” In 1986, Marks staged Abdallah for the Royal Danish Ballet
Royal Danish Ballet
The Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
, the company for whom the work was originally created, and in 1990, he brought the production to Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet, founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams, was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. Boston Ballet’s national and international reputation developed under the leadership of Artistic Directors Violette Verdy , Bruce Marks , and Anna-Marie Holmes...
.
At Boston Ballet
Marks then assumed the position of Artistic Director of Boston BalletBoston Ballet
Boston Ballet, founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams, was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. Boston Ballet’s national and international reputation developed under the leadership of Artistic Directors Violette Verdy , Bruce Marks , and Anna-Marie Holmes...
When he was appointed Artistic Director and CEO (combining the jobs was a first in the world of ballet) he eradicated the company’s debt which was then 50% of the budget. During his tenure, the Company’s annual budget and attendance tripled. Under his dynamic leadership Boston Ballet achieved international acclaim and built a reputation for performing authentic versions of the classics and for encouraging daring modern works. In 1991, in Boston’s South End, Marks opened a new facility that continues to be one of the country’s leading centers for dance and dance education. His time in Boston had many highlights: an unprecedented American/Soviet production of Swan Lake
Swan Lake
Swan Lake ballet, op. 20, by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, composed 1875–1876. The scenario, initially in four acts, was fashioned from Russian folk tales and tells the story of Odette, a princess turned into a swan by an evil sorcerer's curse. The choreographer of the original production was Julius Reisinger...
; the companies 1990 debut at Washington’s Kennedy Center; a 1991 five-city tour of Spain; and in 1993, to inaugurate its 30th season, a highly-acclaimed version of The Sleeping Beauty. Following a second Kennedy Center engagement in March 1994, Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet, founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams, was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. Boston Ballet’s national and international reputation developed under the leadership of Artistic Directors Violette Verdy , Bruce Marks , and Anna-Marie Holmes...
became the first American company to perform John Cranko
John Cranko
John Cyril Cranko was a choreographer with the Sadler's Wells Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet....
’s Onegin. In 1995, Mark's added Cranko's The Taming of the Shrew to the company's repertory, followed in 1997 by Michael Corder’s award-winning Cinderella. Marks mounted the world’s most popular production of The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
. Continuing to add to Boston's repertory, he brought the oldest existing version of Coppélia
Coppélia
Coppélia is a sentimental comic ballet with original choreography by Arthur Saint-Léon to a ballet libretto by Saint-Léon and Charles Nuitter and music by Léo Delibes. It was based upon two macabre stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, Der Sandmann , and Die Puppe...
from The Royal Danish Ballet
Royal Danish Ballet
The Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
plus a traditional Russian production of Giselle
Giselle
Giselle is a ballet in two acts with a libretto by Jules-Henri Vernoy de Saint-Georges and Théophile Gautier, music by Adolphe Adam, and choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot. The librettist took his inspiration from a poem by Heinrich Heine...
, staged by Anna-Marie Holmes and coached by the legendary Natalia Dudinskaya
Natalia Dudinskaya
Natalia Mikhailovna Dudinskaya was a Russian prima ballerina who dominated the Kirov Ballet in the 1930s and 1940s.Dudinskaya's mother was Natalia Tagliori, a ballerina coached by Enrico Cecchetti. Trained by Agrippina Vaganova, Dudinskaya matriculated from her school in 1931. She danced all the...
of the Kirov Ballet.
Encouraging young american choreographers was one of Marks’ major thrusts as Director. As such, he commissioned works by Danny Buraczeski, Bill T. Jones, Ralph Lemon, Monica Levy, Susan Marshall, Bebe Miller, Daniel Pelzig and Lila York. He also added works by Merce Cunningham and Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp is an American dancer and choreographer, who lives and works in New York City.-Early years:Tharp was born in 1941 on a farm in Portland, Indiana, and was named after Twila Thornburg, the "Pig Princess" of the 89th Annual Muncie Fair in Indiana.she spend hours working on it to help her...
.
In July of 1998, Marks stepped down from his post at Boston Ballet to become Artistic Director Emeritus.
As Chairman of the Jury: USA International Ballet Competition
In 1989, Marks was chosen to succeed the late Robert JoffreyRobert Joffrey
Robert Joffrey was an American dancer, teacher, producer and choreographer, known for his highly imaginative modern ballets...
as Chairman of the International Jury of the USA International Ballet Competition
USA International Ballet Competition
The USA International Ballet Competition, or USA IBC, is one of the world's top competitions for ballet. Located in Jackson, Mississippi, this competition is attended by dancers from all over the world to represent their country for bronze, silver, or gold medals in a variety of categories of...
held in Jackson Mississippi, a position he still holds. He served as the American judge at the international competitions in Helsinki, Nagoya, Moscow, and Seoul as well as at the 1994 Prix de Lausanne
Prix de Lausanne
The Prix de Lausanne is an International dance competition held annually in Lausanne, Switzerland. The competition is for young dancers seeking to pursue a professional career in classical ballet, and many former prize winners of the competition are now leading stars with major ballet companies...
in Switzerland.
As Arts Advocate
Marks is a founding member of Dance/USA, a national service organization that represents professional dance companies and from 1990-1992 was Dance/USA's chairman. 1990-92, he was Board Chairman of the American Arts Alliance. He was also Artist Fellow of the spen Institute for Humanistic Studies]. He served on the Inter-Arts Panel of the NEA and also chaired the International Performing Arts Touring Committee. He has been a member of and chaired the National Endowment for the ArtsNational Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
Dance Panel, and was a member of the NEA’s International Advisory Panel. In 1997 Marks was appointed to the US-USSR Commission on Theatre and Dance Studies of the American Council of Learned Societies
American Council of Learned Societies
The American Council of Learned Societies , founded in 1919, is a private nonprofit federation of seventy scholarly organizations.ACLS is best known as a funder of humanities research through fellowships and grants awards. ACLS Fellowships are designed to permit scholars holding the Ph.D...
, and to the Theatre Union of the USSR for 1988-89, a commission set up to foster Soviet/American cooperation in the fields of dance history, theory, criticism and practice.
As Educator/Teacher
Marks has been a pioneer in innovative dance education and outreach programs including Boston Ballet’s precedent-setting Center for Dance Education’s City Dance, a tuition free ballet training program for urban public school students. Marks has taught and coached world wide including The Beijing Dance Academy, China, International Ballet Seminar, Copenhagen, University of the Arts, Seoul, Korea et. al. Marks also has created a landmark training program for Artistic Directors.As Choreographer
Marks has created over thirty ballets including Clockwise, DichterliebeDichterliebe
Dichterliebe, 'The Poet's Love' , is the best-known song cycle of Robert Schumann . The texts for the 16 songs come from the Lyrisches Intermezzo of Heinrich Heine, composed 1822–1823, published as part of the poet's Das Buch der Lieder. Following the song-cycles of Franz Schubert , those of...
, Asylum
Asylum
- Politics and society :* Asylum , places of refuge in ancient Greece and Rome* Right of asylum or political asylum* Church asylum or sanctuary, a right to be safe from arrest in the sanctuary of a church or temple...
, Inner Space, Don Juan
Don Juan
Don Juan is a legendary, fictional libertine whose story has been told many times by many authors. El burlador de Sevilla y convidado de piedra by Tirso de Molina is a play set in the fourteenth century that was published in Spain around 1630...
, Songs of the Valley, Lark Ascending, Sanctus
Sanctus
The Sanctus is a hymn from Christian liturgy, forming part of the Order of Mass. In Western Christianity, the Sanctus is sung as the final words of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer, the prayer of consecration of the bread and wine...
, Abdallah, Pipe Dreams
Pipe Dreams
-Cast:* Kate Price - Maggie* Oliver Hardy - Babe * Joe Cohen - Butler* Edna Reynolds - Maid...
, Don Quixote,Continuo I and Continuo II, Inscape
Inscape
Inscape is a concept derived by Gerard Manley Hopkins from the ideas of the medieval philosopher Duns Scotus.[Hopkins] felt that everything in the universe was characterized by what he called inscape, the distinctive design that constitutes individual identity. This identity is not static but...
, Shake It Up, Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Straight from the Heart, The Parting, Fragments, La Fille Mal Gardée
La Fille Mal Gardée
La Fille mal gardée is a comic ballet presented in two acts, inspired by Pierre-Antoine Baudouin's 1789 painting, La réprimande/Une jeune fille querellée par sa mère...
(with Samantha Dunster), , et al.
Marks has coached and staged works for American Ballet Theater, The Royal Danish Ballet
Royal Danish Ballet
The Royal Danish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world. Based in Copenhagen, Denmark, it originates from 1748, when the Royal Danish Theatre was founded, and was finally organized in 1771 in response to the great popularity of French and Italian styles of dance...
, National Ballet of Canada
National Ballet of Canada
The National Ballet of Canada is Canada's largest ballet troupe. It was founded by Celia Franca in 1951 and is based in Toronto, Ontario. Based upon the unity of Canadian trained dancers in the tradition and style of England's Royal Ballet, The National is regarded as one of the premier classical...
, NBA Ballet Tokyo, Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet
Boston Ballet, founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams, was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. Boston Ballet’s national and international reputation developed under the leadership of Artistic Directors Violette Verdy , Bruce Marks , and Anna-Marie Holmes...
, Ballet West
Ballet West
Ballet West, Salt Lake City, Utah was founded in 1963 by Glenn Walker Wallace, who served as its first president. It was called the Utah Civic Ballet company. Willam F...
, Kansas City Ballet
Kansas City Ballet
Founded in 1957, Kansas City Ballet is a 25-member professional ballet company under the direction of Artistic Director William Whitener and Executive Director Jeffrey J. Bentley. Kansas City Ballet performs three mixed repertory seasons per year as well as the ever-popular Nutcracker...
, Nevada Ballet Theater, Louisville Ballet
Louisville Ballet
The Louisville Ballet is a ballet school and company based in Louisville, Kentucky and is the official state ballet of The Commonwealth of Kentucky. More than 100,000 people attend the company's productions annually of which most are accompanied by the Louisville Orchestra...
, [Charleston Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Ballet, and others.
As Consultant
In 1998, Marks created ArtsVenture, Inc., a consulting firm dedicated to passing along to others the vast knowledge and insights that he has accumulated in the field. Through ArtsVenture, he has served as a consultant to the British Arts Council, Canada Council for the Arts, as well as dance companies in America such as the Fort Worth Ballet (later known as Texas Ballet Theater), José LimónJosé Limón
José Arcadio Limón was a pioneer in the field of modern dance and choreography. In 1928, at age 20, he moved to New York City where he studied under Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. In 1946, Limón founded the José Limón Dance Company...
Dance Company, and Louisville Ballet.
Personal Life
In 1966, Marks married Danish ballerina Toni Lander with whom he had three sons--Erik Antony, Adam Christopher, and Kenneth Rikard. After Lander passed away in 1985, Marks married painter, theater-designer, and writer, Paul Fiumedoro. The two reside in south Florida where Marks is currently at work on his autobiography.Honors and Awards
- 1991 Sonja Loew Award, for Excellence in the Arts
- 1994 National Governors' Association, for Distinguished Service to the Arts
- 1995 CapezioCapezioCapezio is the trading name of Capezio Ballet Makers Inc, a specialist manufacturer of dance shoes, apparel and accessories.-History:Ballet Makers, Inc., of Totowa, New Jersey, was founded in 1887 by Salvatore Capezio....
Dance Award for Achievement in Dance and Contributions toward Public Awareness of Dance in America - 1997 Dance MagazineDance MagazineDance Magazine is an "influential" American trade publication for dance, currently published by the Macfadden Communications Group. It was first published in June 1927 as The American Dancer. William Como was its editor-in-chief from 1970 to his death in 1989. Wendy Perron became its editor-in...
Award - 1998 Dance/USA Honors
- 2005 May - Julliard Centennial Medal
- 2008 Dance Masters of America Annual Award
- 2008 Vasterling Award, for Artistic Vision and Excellence
Honorary Degrees: Doctor of Fine Arts
- Wheaton CollegeWheaton CollegeWheaton College may refer to:* Wheaton College , private Christian, coeducational, liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois* Wheaton College , private, coeducational, liberal arts college in Norton, Massachusetts...
- Franklin Pierce CollegeFranklin Pierce CollegeFranklin Pierce University is a small, private, regionally-accredited university in rural Rindge, New Hampshire, founded in 1962, combining a liberal arts foundation with coursework for professional preparation...
- Northeastern University
- University of MassachusettsUniversity of MassachusettsThis article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
- Juilliard
- The Boston Conservatory
External Links
- Bruce Marks Interview Bruce Marks by Bill Ernst
- Ballet West West Pointe - Ballet West
- Utah History Utah History Encyclopedia, Ballet West - by Cherie N Willis
- Charleston CVB Ballet legend Bruce Marks celebrates in CBT's Latest masterpieces of Dance Scottie Theatre
- Ballet Alert The King of Crossover crosses back - A converstation with Bruce Marks by Alexandra Tomalonis
- Curriculum Bruce Marks Encontro Internacional de Dança de Goiás, Jan 2011