Bruce Marks is an American dancer, performing both in ballet and modern dance. He continues to work as a choreographer, coach and teacher and is a tireless advocate for the art form.
Bruce Marks by Bill Ernst

Early years

Bruce Marks, born in New York City, began his training at age 13 at the New York

High School of Performing Arts The High School of Performing Arts (informally known as "PA") was a public alternative high school established in 1947 and located at 120 West 46th Street in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, from 1948 to 1984. In 1961, the school was ...

, and at 14, created the role of the young boy in

Pearl Lang Pearl Lang (May 29, 1921 – February 24, 2009) 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 ...

’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 () is a Private university, private research university in Waltham, Massachusetts, United States. It is located within the Greater Boston area. Founded in 1948 as a nonsectarian, non-sectarian, coeducational university, Bra ...

(1954–1955) and The

Juilliard School The Juilliard School ( ) is a Private university, private performing arts music school, conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became ...

(1955–1956), where he studied with

Margaret Craske Margaret Craske (26 November 1892 – 18 February 1990) was a British ballet dancer, choreographer and teacher of ballet. Life Margaret Craske was born on 26 November 1892 in Norfolk, England,Debra Craine, Judith Mackrell (2010). ''The Oxford D ...

Alfredo Corvino Alfredo Corvino (February 2, 1916 – August 2, 2005) was a Uruguayan ballet dancer and ballet teacher. Early life and education Corvino was born in Montevideo, Uruguay, and studied violin with his father who was a member of the Philharmonic ...

, Mattlyn Gavers, and

Antony Tudor Antony Tudor (born William Cook; 4 April 1908 – 19 April 1987) was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer. He founded the London Ballet, and later the Philadelphia Ballet Guild in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S., in the mid-195 ...

—who became his mentor.Curriculum Bruce Marks
Encontro Internacional de Dança de Goiás, Jan 2011

The Metropolitan Opera

At Tudor's suggestion in 1956, Marks joined the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

Ballet.Bruce Marks Interview
An interview with Bruce Marks by Toba Singer, 2002 He was soon singled out for principal roles. After appearing in a ballet evening in 1959 at The Met dancing Adam in choreographer John Butler's ''In The Beginning'', Marks was invited to appear at the

Spoleto Festival The ''Festival dei Due Mondi'' (Festival of the Two Worlds) is an annual summer music and opera festival held each June to early July in Spoleto, Italy, since its founding by composer Gian Carlo Menotti in 1958. It features a vast array of conc ...

of Two Worlds as a member of a company organized by

Herbert Ross Herbert David Ross (May 13, 1927 – October 9, 2001) was an American actor, choreographer, director and producer who worked predominantly in theater and film. He was nominated for two Academy Awards and a Tony Award. He is known for directing ...

and John Butler.

, Marks danced principal roles in: *

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 De ...

Alcestis Alcestis (; Ancient Greek: Ἄλκηστις, ') or Alceste, was a princess in Greek mythology, known for her love of her husband. Her life story was told by pseudo-Apollodorus in his '' Bibliotheca'', and a version of her death and return from t ...

Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...

* La Giaconda *

The Gypsy Baron ''The 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 German libretto by Ignaz Schnitzer is based on the unpublished 1883 story ''Saffi'' by Mór Jókai. Jokai ...

* Lucia de Lammermoor —AND-- *

Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had c ...

* La Forza del Destino *

Les contes d'Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died in ...

* La Traviata *

Eugene Onegin ''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' (, Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: Евгеній Онѣгинъ, романъ въ стихахъ, ) is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin. ''Onegin'' is considered a classic of ...

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

* Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg *

Orfeo ed Euridice (; French: '; English: ''Orpheus and Eurydice'') is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck, based on the myth of Orpheus and set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the '' azione teatrale'', meaning an ...

Samson et Dalila ''Samson and Delilah'' (), Op. 47, is a grand opera in three acts and four scenes by Camille Saint-Saëns to a French libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire. It was first performed in Weimar at the (Grand Ducal) Theater (now the Staatskapelle Weimar) on 2 ...

* Tannhauser

American Ballet Theatre

In 1961, again at the suggestion of Tudor, Marks joined The

American Ballet Theatre American Ballet Theatre (ABT) is a classical ballet company based in New York City. Founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant. Through 2019, it had an annual eight-week season at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center) in the spr ...

. 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 roles in the American premiere of

Harald Lander Harald Alfred Bernhardt Stevnsborg Lander (25 February 1905 – 14 September 1971) was a Danish dancer, choreographer and artistic director of the Royal Danish Ballet. Lander was born in Copenhagen. He started as a dancer, studying under ballet ...

’s'' Etudes'' as well as the leading role of Prince Siegfried in ABT's first full-length production of ''

Swan Lake ''Swan Lake'' ( rus, Лебеди́ное о́зеро, r=Lebedínoje ózero, p=lʲɪbʲɪˈdʲinəjə ˈozʲɪrə, links=no ), Op. 20, is a ballet composed by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky in 1875–76. Despite its initial failu ...

''.Dance Studio Life
Former ABT Principal and Boston Ballet Director Bruce Marks Joins faculty of 2011 DanceLife Teacher Conference In 1968 Marks performed the role of Hilarion in the American Ballet Theatre's film of

Giselle ''Giselle'' ( , ), originally titled ''Giselle, ou les Wilis'' (; ''Giselle, or The Wilis''), is a romantic ballet () in two acts with music by Adolphe Adam. Considered a masterwork in the classical ballet performance canon, it was first perfor ...

. Roles performed by Marks at

: *

Theme and Variations In music, variation is a formal technique where material is repeated in an altered form. The changes may involve melody, rhythm, harmony, counterpoint, timbre, orchestration or any combination of these. Variation is often contrasted with mu ...

* Grand Pas Glazanov *

Billy the Kid Henry McCarty (September 17 or November 23, 1859July 14, 1881), alias William H. Bonney, better known as Billy the Kid, was an American outlaw and gunfighter of the Old West who was linked to nine murders: four for which he was solely res ...

* Pillar of Fire * Dark Elegies * Gala Performance *

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

* Etudes *

Miss Julie ''Miss Julie'' () is a naturalistic play written in 1888 by August Strindberg. It is set on Midsummer's Eve and the following morning, which is Midsummer and the Feast Day of St. John the Baptist. The setting is an estate of a count in Sweden. ...

* Moon Reindeer *

Sargasso The Sargasso Sea () is a region of the Atlantic Ocean bounded by four currents forming an ocean gyre. Unlike all other regions called seas, it is the only one without land boundaries. It is distinguished from other parts of the Atlantic Ocea ...

* Gaité Parisienne *

Aleko The Moskvitch-2141, also known under the trade name Aleko (Russian: "АЛЕКО", derivative from the name of the automaker "Автомобильный завод имени Ленинского Комсомола", ''Avtomobilnyj zavod imeni Len ...

* A Rose for Miss Emily *

Tally Ho Tally-ho is a phrase used in hunting. Tally Ho and Tallyho may refer to: Places * Tally-Ho Plantation House, a home in Louisiana * Tally Ho Township in Granville County, North Carolina * Tally Ho, Victoria, a locality within the suburb of Burwo ...

Concerto A concerto (; plural ''concertos'', or ''concerti'' from the Italian plural) is, from the late Baroque era, mostly understood as an instrumental composition, written for one or more soloists accompanied by an orchestra or other ensemble. The ...

* The Sleeping Beauty * At Midnight * Balladen Der Liebe *

Helen of Troy Helen (), also known as Helen of Troy, or Helen of Sparta, and in Latin as Helena, was a figure in Greek mythology said to have been the most beautiful woman in the world. She was believed to have been the daughter of Zeus and Leda (mythology), ...

* Coppelia *

Electra Electra, also spelt Elektra (; ; ), is one of the most popular Greek mythology, mythological characters in tragedies.Evans (1970), p. 79 She is the main character in two Greek tragedies, ''Electra (Sophocles play), Electra'' by Sophocles and ''Ele ...

* Jardin Aux Lilas *

The Moor's Pavane ''The Moor's Pavane'' is a 20-minute ballet based upon the tragedy '' Othello'' by William Shakespeare. The ballet was choreographed by José Limón in 1949 to music from Henry Purcell's '' Abdelazer'', ''The Gordion Knot Untied'', and the pa ...

Petrouchka ''Petrushka'' (; ) is a ballet by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. It was written for the 1911 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes company; the original choreography was by Michel Fokine and stage designs and costumes by Alexand ...

* Ricecare * The Taming of the Shrew *

Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popular ...

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 Ballet The Royal Danish Ballet ( Danish: ''Den Kongelige Ballet'') is an internationally renowned classical ballet company, based at the Royal Danish Theatre in Kongens Nytorv, Copenhagen, Denmark. It is one of the oldest ballet companies in the world a ...

. He made his debut as such in May, 1971 at the Danish Ballet and Music Festival dancing Paul Taylor's ''

Aureole An aureola or aureole (diminutive of Latin ''aurea'', "golden") is the radiance of luminous cloud which, in paintings of sacred personages, surrounds the whole figure. In Romance languages, the noun Aureola is usually more related to the d ...

.'' It was the first time a modern trained artist had done the work in Copenhagen and he received rave reviews. The next evening he danced the role of James in the 19th century Danish classic,

La Sylphide ''La Sylphide'' (; ) is a romantic ballet in two acts. There were two versions of the ballet; the original choreographed by Filippo Taglioni in 1832, and a second version choreographed by August Bournonville in 1836. Bournonville's is the only ve ...

, by

August Bournonville August Bournonville (21 August 1805 – 30 November 1879) was a Danish ballet master and choreographer. He was the son of Antoine Bournonville, a dancer and choreographer trained under the French choreographer, Jean Georges Noverre, and the ne ...

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 is an American ballet company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was founded in 1963 as the Utah Civic Ballet by Willam F. Christensen, the company's first artistic director, and Glenn Walker Wallace, who served as its first president. ...

in Salt Lake City, Utah. Marks danced principal roles at the

in: *

Napoli Naples ( ; ; ) is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its province-level municipality is the thir ...

* Far From Denmark *

Prism PRISM is a code name for a program under which the United States National Security Agency (NSA) collects internet communications from various U.S. internet companies. The program is also known by the SIGAD . PRISM collects stored internet ...

Trio Trio may refer to: Music Groups * Trio (music), an ensemble of three performers, or a composition for such an ensemble ** Jazz trio, pianist, double bassist, drummer ** Minuet and trio, a form in classical music ** String trio, a group of three ...

The Triumph of Death ''The Triumph of Death'' is an oil panel painting by Pieter Bruegel the Elder painted c. 1562. It has been in the Museo del Prado in Madrid since 1827. Description The painting shows a panorama of an army of skeletons wreaking havoc across a bl ...

The Nutcracker ''The Nutcracker'' (, ), Opus number, Op. 71, is an 1892 two-act classical ballet (conceived as a '; ) by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, set on Christmas Eve at the foot of a Christmas tree in a child's imagination featuring a Nutcracker doll. Th ...

* Moon Reindeer *

A Touch of the Poet ''A Touch of the Poet'' is a Play (theatre), play by Eugene O'Neill completed in 1942 but not performed until 1958, after his death. It and its sequel, ''More Stately Mansions'', were intended to be part of a nine-play cycle entitled ''A Tale ...

et al. * Winter's Court

As guest artist

Marks has danced as guest artist with: *

London Festival Ballet English National Ballet is a classical ballet company founded by Alicia Markova, Dame Alicia Markova and Anton Dolin (ballet dancer), Sir Anton Dolin as London Festival Ballet and based in London, England. Along with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham ...

* Grand Theatre de Geneve *

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal (GBCM) is a ballet company based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. A creative and repertory company, it performs works that reflect the diverse trends of contemporary ballet. History Les Grands Ballets Canadien ...

de Montreal *The

Royal Swedish Ballet The Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, Gustav III of Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian ...

*The

* Teatro Municipal Firenze, Maggio Musicale

At Ballet West

By 1976, Marks became Co-Artistic Director of

at the invitation of its founder,

Willam Christensen Willam Farr Christensen (August 27, 1902 – October 14, 2001)Was born Christian William Christensen, until his mother changed his name to William Farr Christensen, to include her maiden name. As a professional dancer in San Francisco, Christense ...

. Following Christensen's retirement in 1978, Marks was named artistic director. The company flourished under Marks's direction, and his distinctive stamp was made with the addition of new works to the company's repertory from Bournonville and

Balanchine George Balanchine (; Various sources: * * * * born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze;, : April 30, 1983) was a Georgian-American ballet choreographer, recognized as one of the most influential choreographers of the 20th-century. Sty ...

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 The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

, 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

, the company for whom the work was originally created, and in 1990, he brought the production to

Boston Ballet The Boston Ballet is an American professional classical ballet company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1963 by E. Virginia Williams and Sydney Leonard, and was the first professional repertory ballet company in New England. ...

At Boston Ballet

Marks then assumed the position of artistic director of

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 ''

''; the company's 1990 debut at Washington's

; 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,

became the first American company to perform

John Cranko John Cyril Cranko (15 August 1927 – 26 June 1973) was a South African ballet dancer and choreographer with the Royal Ballet and the Stuttgart Ballet. Life and career Early life Cranko was born to Herbert and Grace Cranko in Rustenburg in ...

’s '' Onegin''. In 1995, Marks added Cranko's'' The Taming of the Shrew'' to the company's repertory, followed in 1997 by

Michael Corder Michael Corder (born 17 March 1955) is a British choreographer and director. Corder trained at the Royal Ballet School The Royal Ballet School is a British school of classical ballet training founded in 1926 by the Anglo-Irish ballerina and ...

’s award-winning'' Cinderella''. Marks mounted the world's most popular production of''

''. Continuing to add to Boston's repertory, he brought the oldest existing version of''

Coppélia ''Coppélia'' (sometimes subtitled: ''La Fille aux Yeux d'Émail'' (The Girl with the Enamel Eyes)) is a comic ballet from 1870 originally choreographed by Arthur Saint-Léon to the music of Léo Delibes, with libretto by Charles-Louis-Éti ...

'' from The

plus a traditional Russian production of''

'', staged by

Anna-Marie Holmes Anna-Marie Holmes (born April 17, 1942) is a Canadian-born ballet dancer, educator and choreographer. Holmes received an Emmy Award in 2000 for her staging of Le Corsaire for PBS. She was the founder and co-artistic director for the International A ...

and coached by

Natalia Dudinskaya Natalia Mikhailovna Dudinskaya (29 January 2003) was a Soviet prima ballerina who dominated the Kirov Ballet from the 1930s to the 1950s. Dudinskaya was born on , in Kharkiv. Her mother was , a Ukrainian and Russian ballerina who had been coa ...

of the

Kirov Ballet The Mariinsky Ballet () is the resident classical ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Founded in the 18th century and originally known as the Imperial Russian Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet is one of the world's ...

. Encouraging young American choreographers was one of Marks's 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 Lila York (born 29 November 1948) is an American dancer and choreographer from New York City. She studied English literature at Skidmore College before studying ballet and modern dance at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance with Paul Sa ...

. He also added works by Merce Cunningham and

Twyla Tharp Twyla Tharp (; born July 1, 1941) is an American dancer, choreographer, and author who lives and works in New York City. In 1965 she formed the company Twyla Tharp Dance, which merged with American Ballet Theatre in 1988. She regrouped the compa ...

. In July 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 Joffrey Robert Joffrey (December 24, 1930 – March 25, 1988) was an American dancer, teacher, producer, choreographer, and co-founder of the Joffrey Ballet, known for his highly imaginative modern ballets. He was born Anver Bey Abdullah Jaffa Khan in Se ...

as Chairman of the International Jury of the

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, ...

held in Jackson Mississippi, a position he held through 2010. 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 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 ...

in Switzerland and chairman of the 2012 Jury, 4th Beijing International Invitational Competition for Dance Schools.

As arts advocate

Marks is a founding member of Dance/USA, a national service organization that represents professional dance companies and from 1990 to 1992 was Dance/USA's chairman. 1990–92, he was board chairman of the American Arts Alliance. He was also Artist Fellow of the Aspen 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 Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

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 The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) is a private, nonprofit federation of 75 scholarly organizations in the humanities and related social sciences founded in 1919. It is best known for its fellowship competitions which provide a ra ...

, 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

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 worldwide 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,

Dichterliebe ''Dichterliebe'', ''A Poet's Love'' (composed 1840), is the best-known song cycle by Robert Schumann ( Op. 48). The texts for its 16 songs come from the ''Lyrisches Intermezzo'' by Heinrich Heine, written in 1822–23 and published as part of Hein ...

, Asylum, Inner Space,

Don Juan Don Juan (), also known as Don Giovanni ( Italian), is a legendary fictional Spanish libertine who devotes his life to seducing women. The original version of the story of Don Juan appears in the 1630 play (''The Trickster of Seville and t ...

, Songs of the Valley, Lark Ascending,

Sanctus The ''Sanctus'' (, "Holy") is a hymn in Christian liturgy. It may also be called the ''epinikios hymnos'' (, "Hymn of Victory") when referring to the Greek rendition and parts of it are sometimes called "Benedictus". ''Tersanctus'' (Latin: "Thr ...

, Abdallah, Pipe Dreams,

Don Quixote , the full title being ''The Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha'', is a Spanish novel by Miguel de Cervantes. Originally published in two parts in 1605 and 1615, the novel is considered a founding work of Western literature and is of ...

, Continuo I'' and ''Continuo II,

Inscape Inscape and instress are complementary and enigmatic concepts about individuality and uniqueness derived by the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins from the ideas of the medieval philosopher Duns Scotus.Chevigny, Bell Gale. Instress and Devotion in the P ...

, Shake It Up, Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Straight from the Heart, The Parting, Fragments,

La Fille Mal Gardée LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smi ...

(with Samantha Dunster), Greenfields of America, Old Demons'', et al. Marks has coached and staged works for

, The

National Ballet of Canada The National Ballet of Canada is a Canadian ballet company that was founded in 1951 in Toronto, Ontario, with Celia Franca, the first artistic director. A company of 70 dancers with its own orchestra, the National Ballet has been led since 2022 ...

NBA Ballet Tokyo

Kansas City Ballet The Kansas City Ballet (KCB) is a professional ballet company based in Kansas City, Missouri. The company was founded in 1957 by Russian expatriate Tatiana Dokoudovska. The KCB presents five major performances each season to include an annual ...

, Nevada Ballet Theater,

Louisville Ballet The Louisville Ballet is a ballet school and professional ballet company based in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the official state ballet of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The Ballet was established in 1952 and currently employs 25 professional danc ...

, harleston Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Ballet, Introdans">Fort_Worth_Ballet.html" ;"title="harleston Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Ballet">harleston Ballet Theater, Fort Worth Ballet, Introdans and others. Marks has been the artistic director of the Boston Ballet (1985-1997) and the Orlando Ballet (2006-2008).

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 Limón Dance Company, and Louisville Ballet.

Personal life

In 1966, Marks married Danish ballerina

Toni Lander Toni Lander née Pihl Petersen (1931–1985) was a Danish ballerina who specialized in the ballets of August Bournonville. After becoming a solo dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet in 1950, she was a guest dancer with the Original Ballet Russe in ...

with whom he had three sons—Erik Antony, Adam Christopher, and Kenneth Rikard. After Lander died 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 The National Governance Association (NGA), founded as the National Governors' Association, is a representative body for school governors and trustees of State-funded schools (England), state-funded schools in England. It was formed in February 20 ...

, for Distinguished Service to the Arts * 1995

Capezio Capezio is the trade name of Capezio Ballet Makers Inc., an American manufacturer of dance shoes, apparel and accessories. History In 1887, Salvatore Capezio, an Italian cobbler emigrated to the United States, opened a shoe repair shop near th ...

Dance Award for Achievement in Dance and Contributions toward Public Awareness of Dance in America * 1997

Dance Magazine ''Dance Magazine'' is an American trade publication for dance. It was first published in June 1927 as ''The American Dancer''. ''Dance Magazine'' is currently part of Dance Media, led by longtime arts publisher Joanna Harp as president, and has mu ...

Award * 1998 Dance/USA Honors * 2005 May - Juilliard Centennial Medal * 2008 Dance Masters of America Annual Award * 2008 Vasterling Award, for Artistic Vision and Excellence

Honorary degrees: doctor of fine arts

* Wheaton College *

Franklin Pierce College Franklin Pierce University is a private university in Rindge, New Hampshire, United States. It was founded as Franklin Pierce College in 1962, combining a liberal arts foundation with coursework for professional preparation. The school gained un ...

Northeastern University Northeastern University (NU or NEU) is a private university, private research university with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It was founded by the Boston Young Men's Christian Association in 1898 as an all-male instit ...

University of Massachusetts Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a public land-grant research university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Massachusetts system and was founded in 1863 as the ...

Juilliard The Juilliard School ( ) is a private performing arts conservatory in New York City. Founded by Frank Damrosch as the Institute of Musical Art in 1905, the school later added dance and drama programs and became the Juilliard School, named aft ...

The Boston Conservatory Boston Conservatory at Berklee (formerly The Boston Conservatory) is a private performing arts conservatory in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in dance, music, and theater. Boston Conservatory was founded o ...

References

External links

Bruce Marks Interview
Bruce Marks by Bill Ernst
Ballet West
West Pointe - Ballet West

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

The King of Crossover crosses back - A conversation with Bruce Marks by Alexandra Tomalonis
Curriculum Bruce Marks
Encontro Internacional de Dança de Goiás, Jan 2011 {{DEFAULTSORT:Marks, Bruce 1936 births Living people Artists from New York City American male ballet dancers New York City Ballet principal dancers New York City Ballet Diamond Project choreographers Prix Benois de la Danse jurors American artistic directors