DANCING AMBIVALENCE: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF MARK MORRIS' CHOREOGRAPHY IN DIDO AND AENEAS (1989), THE HARD NUT (1991), AND ROMEO AND JULIET, ON MOTIFS OF SHAKESPEARE (2008).

Abstract

Mark Morris is deeply engaged with dance traditions and the classics, but he transforms them into modern, eclectic pieces. He often dissolves the distinctions between reality and fantasy, and good and evil, emphasizing reconciliation and love. Morris sculpts his own story and characters from musical elements within the overarching musical structure, portraying the characters and their emotions through detailed variations of movement quality. Characterizing Morris' dual attitudes as ambivalence, this study aims to highlight the dynamic structure and complexity of meaning in his works. I suggest that Morris' ambivalence is related to his perspective, the way he sees the world.