Meredith Monk Overview

Meredith Monk's eclectic mix of movement, philosophy, musical effects, and high theatrics has its roots in her smorgasbord approach to dance training. Considered both a leading Postmodern choreographer and a pioneer in interdisciplinary performance, Monk draws on a varied education that... [more]

Meredith Monk's eclectic mix of movement, philosophy, musical effects, and high theatrics has its roots in her smorgasbord approach to dance training. Considered both a leading Postmodern choreographer and a pioneer in interdisciplinary performance, Monk draws on a varied education that included stints as a dancer with Martha Graham and Merce Cunningham, as a ballerina with Mia Slavenska, as a Dalcroze mime, and as an improvisational performer with Ann Halprin. Combining these disparate elements into carefully crafted dance-theater-art pastiches, Monk defies categorization and opens up new performance possibilities. Monk's multimedia extravaganzas are peopled with colorful characters, from bikers to gangsters to turbaned strangers. They derive their dramatic impact from the layers of sensory details that bring these startling images to life: danced action, performed backdrops, mysterious costumes, and improvised sound. The apparent randomness of the performed actions and the visual freshness of the staged images create a shifting world of fragmented emotions. Monk's latest endeavors include a full-length opera, a site-specific performance piece, and several new film projects. A recipient of three Obies, several honorary arts doctorates, and countless fellowships, Monk has been called everything from a "conceptual genius" to one of "the chosen few" who create truly original art. [show less]