Monk, Meredith (1942–)
Monk, Meredith (1942–)
American choreographer and dancer. Born Meredith Jane Monk, Nov 20, 1942, in Lima, Peru; studied Dalcroze movement when young; Sarah Lawrence College, BA, 1964; studied dance with Mia Slavenska, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, and at the Ruth Mata-Eugene Hari studio and the Joffrey School.
Performed with Judson Dance Group in NY (1960s), mainly in her own works; founded interdisciplinary arts group, The House (1968), where she remains artistic director, chief choreographer and composer; began including own musical compositions and film sequences in choreography early on; also composed independent scores, mainly for vocalists, such as Our Lady of Late (1973); directed independent video and film projects, including Turtle Dreams (1983) and Book of Days (1989); works are often described as operas of the future; major choreographies include Duet with Cat's Scream and Locomotive (1966), Education of the Girlchild (1973), Quarry (1976), Recent Ruins (1979), Atlas: An Opera in Three Parts (1991); independent scores include Raw Recital (1970), Fear and Loathing in Gotham (1975), Dolmen Music (1980), and Turtle Dreams (1980–81). Won 3 Obie awards (1972, 1976, 1985), New York Dance and Performance (Bessie) award (1985), and Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival award (1996); received MacArthur Foundation fellowship (1995).
See also Deborah Jowitt, Meredith Monk (1997).