The Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) was formed in 1980 and gave its first concert that year in New York City. The company's touring schedule steadily expanded to include cities both in the U.S. and in Europe, and in 1986 it made its first national television program for the PBS series Dance in America. In 2001, MMDG opened the Mark Morris Dance Center in Brooklyn, NY, the company's first permanent headquarters in the U.S., housing rehearsal space for the dance community, outreach programs for local children, as well as a school offering dance classes to students of all ages. The School at the Mark Morris Dance offers a diverse range of classes for all ages, and strives to be a center of creative activity for children, community residents, and professional dancers.