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The Mark Morris Dance Group was formed in 1980 and gave its first concert in that year in New York. In the following years, the company s touring schedule has steadily expanded to include cities across America and Europe. Once considered the bad boy of the modern dance world, Mark Morris is now an influential and internationally celebrated choreographer whose pieces have become the standard of creativity for a new generation of dancers, choreographers and critics. Following the outstanding success of Mozart Dances which was co-commissioned by the Barbican for bite07, bite presents the European premiere of Romeo and Juliet, On Motifs of Shakespeare by Mark Morris Dance Group. This production, with new choreography by Mark Morris, is based on Sergei Prokofiev's original music and Soviet dramatist Sergei Radlov’s original story concept in which Juliet rouses from her potion-induced sleep and the lovers’ relief and joy is celebrated in a final dance. The original ballet was conceived in 1935 but was so heavily censored in Stalin’s Russia that it was nearly unrecognisable to its composer when it was first staged in 1940. For this historic event Prokofiev’s original score will be performed as he intended by the London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Stefan Asbury. Romeo and Juliet, On Motifs of Shakespeare is presented in association with Dance Umbrella and is part of the Barbican’s Great Performers season and part of the LSO’s Dance! series which runs throughout November 2008 and January 2009.

Producer BITE08. Choreographer mark Morris. Choreographer Mark Morris. Company London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor Stefan Asbury. Design Allen Moyer. Costume Martin Pakledinaz. Lighting James F. Ingalls.