MAURICE CAUSEY

Maurice Causey is an American-born European-based artist. Maurice began studying ballet at the age of 15 in his hometown of Florence, Alabama at the Florence School of Ballet directed by Michael McCadden and Patsy Hill. During his early training years he was awarded Ford Foundation scholarships to the prestigious School of American Ballet, American Ballet Theatre School in New York City, the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet in Carlisle, Pennsylvania and the Joffery pre-professional program in San Antonio, Texas at the age of 16.

 

Dancer

In the summer of 1984 at the age of 18 while studying at the summer course for the American Ballet Theater School in NY he was offered his first professional contract with the Cleveland Ballet in Ohio directed by Dennis Nahat. In 1985 he moved to Philadelphia to join the Pennsylvania Ballet directed by Ricky Weiss, where he stayed 3 years, his last year being a joint venture with the Milwaukee Ballet from 1987-88. From 1988-1991 Maurice moved on to Toronto, Canada joining the ranks of the National Ballet of Canada. During his time with Cleveland Ballet and Pennsylvania /Milwaukee Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada Maurice performed leading roles in both the contemporary and classical repertoire, which include soloist in Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Romeo and Juliet, Dennis Nahat’s Symphony No. 9, Paul Taylor’s Arden Court, and several Balanchine Ballets including Lead Soldier in Balanchine’s Nutcracker, Tarantella, Puck in Midsummer’s Night Dream, and soloist in Symphony in C 4th and 3rd movements, Allegro Brilliante , Melancholy in Four Temperaments , and the Lead Cadet in Stars and Stripes, to name a few. Also, while dancing with National Ballet of Canada In 1990 Maurice won the Silver Medal Award by the New York Film Festival for best actor in the dance film “Lights Edge” by Donald Dawson.

 

Career with Forsythe

In 1991, while dancing with the National Ballet of Canada, Choreographer and Director of Ballet Frankfurt, William Forsythe, was choreographing his master work Second Detail on the company. After being cast as a lead role in Second Detail, Maurice’s career was about to take on an adventure which would lead him to Europe to travel the world and challenge everything he knew about dance. Mr. Forsythe offered him a contract to dance with the world’s leading dance company Ballet Frankfurt. From 1991-1999 Maurice was a Principal Dancer with Ballet Frankfurt dancing almost the entire Forsythe repertoire. During his 8 year stay with the company he developed knowledge working with improvisational skills developed by Forsythe and the dancers of Ballet Frankfurt, co-choreographing such works as Eidos Telos, Sleepers guts and Alien Action.

 

Scandinavia

After leaving Ballet Frankfurt in 1999 he moved North to Scandinavia. From 1999-2002 he was a Principal Dancer with the Gothenburg Ballet in Sweden dancing new and innovative work by choreographers such as Wayne McGregor, Jacopo Godani and Tero Saarinen. After 3 years in Gothenburg Maurice, at the age of 36, decided to make the decision to retire as a fulltime dancer and was offered the position of Ballet Master for the Royal Swedish Ballet in Stockholm. From 2002-2003 he was Ballet Master with the Royal Swedish Ballet training the dancers and assisting such choreographers as Natalia Markova for Giselle, Beryl Grey for Sleeping Beauty, and Alexei Ratmansky for his creation of Firebird. Being also responsible for William Forsythes Vertiginous thrill of Exactitude, Sir Federick Ashton’s Scene de Ballet and Kristof Pastor’s In light and Shadow.

 

The Netherlands

From 2004 to 2010 he was Ballet Master for one of the worlds’ leading dance company the Netherlands Dance Theatre 1. He has assisted choreographers for original works by Jorma Elo, Alexander Ekman, Jacopo Godani, Crystal Pite, Tero Saarinen, Wayne McGregor, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon. He had his premiere with NDT as a choreographer in May of 2008, of which he was nominated for the best Dutch Dance Production for 2008 for his work “Mood Swings”. Since 2012 he is linked to New Dance Company as associate choreographer. See for more information under ‘Choreographies’.

 

Teachings

Maurice is also a freelance teacher for schools and various companies in Europe and Australia such as HJS in Amsterdam, Ballet Frankfurt, Cullberg Ballet, Netherlands Dance Theatre 1 and 2, Hannover Ballet, Random Dance Company, Carte Blanche, Wiesbaden Ballet and the Royal Swedish Ballet. He is also qualified to teach workshops on the Forsythe improvisational technologies of which he gives in institutions around the world. He performs occasionally with his own solo work at various venues throughout Europe. In 2009 he received 2nd place in Milwaukee Ballets Genesis Choreographic Competition with his work “City of the shining jewel” and in 2010 was winner of Hubbard Streets 2nd company’s choreographic competition creating for them “Angels in my hair”. He has also created original works for companies such as Northwest Dance Project, Prism Dance Theatre, Company C, O Dance and the Augsburg Ballet in Germany. Maurice is a Patron for the newly formed junior company Austinmer Dance Theatre in Australia.

 

Choreographies

Throughout his dance career Maurice has choreographed for schools and various workshops in the companies he danced and for Galas in Prague, Korea, Sweden and Germany. He was commissioned in 2003 to make an original work for the company Stockholm 59 North which was entitled “My Fleeting Visions” to critical success. He has also choreographed and danced for Sony music in Germany for the pop group Da Boogie and various American and German television projects including Thomas Gottschalk’s Wetten, dass…? In 2011 he starred in an art film with the London based music and visual artist Mikhail Karikis entitled “Xenon” directed by David Bickerstaff.

 

Projects and Commissions:

1989 Project for Schools (Explorers Part 1) National Ballet of Canada

1989 “She Escapes Society” Workshop National Ballet of Canada Toronto Canada

1991-99 Co-Choreographed with William Forsythe Eidos Telos, Sleepers Guts, Alien Action…. Frankfurt Germany

2002 “Blitz”/Euro Competition Sweden for young dancers (Michanek/Oom)Stockholm, Sweden and Amsterdam The Netherlands

2003 “My Fleeting Visions” 59 North, Stockholm Sweden

2003 “Purple Prokofiev” Korean Gala, Seoul, Korea 2007 "Kytice" Prague Gala (dancer Natalia Horenca) Prague

2008 “Mythical Laboratory” Workshop NDT 1, Den Hague,The Netherlands

2008 “Mood Swings” Netherlands Dance Theater 1, Den Hague, The Netherlands

2009 “city of the shining jewel” Milwaukee Ballet Milwaukee Wisconsin

2009 “This is What Happens” Northwestern Dance Project, Portland Oregon

2009 “Gender Predicaments” Northwestern Dance Project, Portland Oregon

2010“Giggle, Giggle, Quack” Northwestern Dance Project, Portland Oregon

2010 “Sluta” Prism Dance Theater Seattle, Washington 2010 “Angels in my Hair” Hubbard Street Dance Chicago 2 , Chicago Illinois

2011 “Ominous Rumblings of Discontent” Company C San Francisco, California

2011“Merry Makers” Augsburg Ballet, Augsburg, Germany

2011“Plucked” Augsburg Ballet, Augsburg, Germany

2011 “Black Roses Red” Augsburg Ballet Augsburg, Germany

2011 “Mercury Lake” O Dance Tampa Florida 2011 “Grim Eye” iMEE, Houston Texas

2012 “Hither Thither” iMEE, Houston Texas

2012 “Cat and Bird” iMEE, Houston Texas

2012 “Luna-cy“ New Dance Company Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2012 “Thorn in the Flesh” New Dance Company Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2012 “Courtney” New Dance Company Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2012 “Taboo” Franco Dragone Productions Macau, China

2012 "Mythical Laboratory” iMEE, Houston Texas

2012 “Tortured Melodies” Ballet Arabesque Sofia, Bulgaria

2013 “Heroes” Augsburg Ballet, Houston Texas

2013 “HOWL” Tanz Luzerner Theater Luzern, Switzerland 2013 “Cock-a-Doodle-Doo” Tanz Luzerner Theater” Luzern, Switzerland

2013 "Duet (Bob and Illja) for Foltz Dance Company, Amsterdam The Netherlands

2013 "Digital Garden" Austinmer Dance Theater Wollongong, Australia

2014 “Spasmodic” New Dance Company Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2014 “Hither Thither” New Dance Company Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2014 “Rise” Company C San Francisco, California

2014 “HOWL” restaged for Olga Zitluhina Dance Co., Cesis, Latvia

2014 “Turbulentus” University South Florida Tampa, Florida

2014 “Import/Export" Sam Houston State University, Huntsville Texas

2014 “Intertwined” New Dance Company, Amsterdam The Netherlands

2015 "Bla/Bla" Ballet Arabesque Sofia, Bulgaria

2015 “Unleash the Dragon” NDC

2015 “Unleash” Stephan Delattre Dance Company Germany

2015 “Import/Export” (SHSU)

2015“Turbulentus” (USF)

2015 “She He Shenanigans” ArtEZ (University of Arts) Arnhem NL

2015 "Unity" Dutch Dont Dance Summer Intensive 

2015 "Slapdash" Dance Gallery Festival New York,New York

2015 "Your guess is as good as mine" Gretchen Garrett's Strip Down Salon Amsterdam, The Netherlands 

2016 "Stream" Paris Marais Dance School Paris, France

2016 "Ive been kissed" Royal Conservatory Den Hague, The Netherlands

2016 "Cock-a-Doodle-Doo" Gala Benifit  Chemintz , Germany 

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