Mark Morris Dance Group and Breakthru forge innovative partnership to redefine workplace wellness

September, 12, 2024

“New Collaboration Brings Together Movement and Technology, Offering Science-Backed Microbreaks to Combat Sedentary Lifestyles and Enhance Cognitive Function”

NEW YORK, August 27, 2024— The internationally renowned Mark Morris Dance Group proudly announces their partnership with Breakthru, a well-established digital integrative wellness platform that offers 2-minute movement and breathing breaks designed to enhance health and cognitive clarity during the workday. This collaboration draws on Mark Morris’s choreographic expertise to enrich Breakthru’s extensive library of microbreaks, tackling the global epidemic of sedentary behavior and workplace burnout. Together, they are committed to transforming not just workplace environments but also educational settings, enhancing well-being through engaging movement designed to be accessible for all bodies, ages, and abilities.

Breakthru, created by Melissa Painter, a founder deeply engaged in the intersection of embodied cognition, wellbeing, spatial computing, and the future of work, addresses critical risks associated with prolonged deskwork and the pervasive issue of burnout. Seamlessly integrated into Microsoft Teams, Google Chrome, and Slack, Breakthru provides tailored, science-backed microbreaks that not only actively combat the physical ailments associated with inactivity but also enhance mental clarity, creativity, and problem-solving abilities through structured movement. Users can select from five thematic categories—Joyful, Confident, Centered, Energized, and Breathe—each specifically designed to help achieve the mood, focus, and energy level they desire post-break. These breaks are dynamically enhanced by immersive sensory effects, featuring artwork and soundscapes that evolve throughout each microbreak, connecting users to the natural world and its rhythmic changes.

"Having admired Mark Morris's work since high school, I am thrilled to collaborate with him,” expresses Painter. “Mark's dedication to making dance accessible to all aligns perfectly with Breakthru’s vision. His movement designs, infused with joy and connection, complement our goal of integrating movement into everyday life to promote healing and community.” Mark Morris adds, “Dance is for anybody, and it has always been an important, worldwide form of communication. Working together with Breakthru allows us to improve wellbeing in the workplace by encouraging creative and energizing movement,” he continues. “We are offering not just a 'break' but an active, stimulating change of pace which can, within a few minutes, give any workday more animation, serenity, and vitality.”

Since its inception, Breakthru has attracted over 2 million monthly active users and is utilized in more than 45,000 organizations across 72 countries, including notable organizations such as Walmart, Microsoft, Lululemon, and the National Health Service in the UK. Research has demonstrated that prolonged inactivity can increase the risk of early death by 37% for women and 18% for men. Grounded in extensive research, Breakthru’s 2-minute microbreaks have been scientifically proven to enhance metabolic health, improve concentration, and improve mobility, balance, and longevity. By resetting metabolism, alleviating stress, and enhancing overall mental and physical well-being in just 2 minutes, Breakthru debunks the myth that sitting still is necessary for focused thought and promotes a healthier, more active approach to working, performance, and learning.

This partnership places Breakthru and the Mark Morris Dance Group at the forefront of a cultural shift in the workplace, emphasizing the importance of integrating movement into daily routines. Available for purchase by companies—and free for schools—Breakthru provides employees with the tools and permissions needed to take regular breaks throughout the workday. It seamlessly integrates into commonly used platforms, ensuring easy access and fostering a healthier, more connected workplace.

To learn more, visit https://breakthru.me

About Breakthru

Breakthru, founded by Melissa Painter, a visionary at the forefront of embodied cognition and workplace wellbeing, is a transformative wellness platform dedicated to addressing the pervasive issues of sedentary behavior and workplace burnout. Prolonged sitting and a lack of movement are not only linked to serious health risks, including chronic conditions and early mortality, but also undermine the capacity for critical thinking, problem-solving, and creative engagement.

Breakthru introduces 2-minute, science-backed microbreaks that seamlessly integrate into popular platforms like Microsoft Teams, Google Chrome, and Slack. These breaks offer guided movement, natural landscapes, seasons, and soundscapes, creating a multisensory experience that rejuvenates both body and mind, empowering users to overcome mental fatigue and shift their mood. Designed to be accessible for all bodies, ages, and abilities, Breakthru ensures that everyone can benefit from these impactful pauses.

Serving over 2 million users across more than 45,000 organizations in 72 countries, Breakthru is committed to reshaping workplace culture, redefining the way desk work is experienced at all levels. By embedding these brief but powerful breaks into everyday routines, Breakthru is not only fostering healthier and more inspired workplaces but also pioneering a new standard for what modern work environments can and should be.

About Mark Morris

Mark Morris Mark Morris has been praised as “the most successful and influential choreographer alive, and indisputably the most musical” (New York Times). In addition to creating over 150 works for the Mark Morris Dance Group, he conducts orchestras, directs opera, and choreographs for ballet companies worldwide. Morris’s work is acclaimed for its ingenuity, musicality, wit, and humanity. Named a Fellow of the MacArthur Foundation in 1991, he has received eleven honorary doctorates to date, and a multitude of awards, including the Samuel H. Scripps/American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement, the Leonard Bernstein Lifetime Achievement Award for the Elevation of Music in Society, the Benjamin Franklin Laureate Prize for Creativity, the Cal Performances Award of Distinction in the Performing Arts, the Orchestra of St. Luke’s Gift of Music Award, and the 2016 Doris Duke Artist Award. Morris’s memoir, Out Loud, co-written with Wesley Stace, was published by Penguin Press in October 2019.

About the Mark Morris Dance Group and MMDG Music Ensemble

Founded in New York City in 1980 by artistic director and choreographer Mark Morris, praised by The New York Times as “the most successful and influential choreographer alive, and indisputably the most musical,” the Mark Morris Dance Group has been called “the preeminent modern dance organization of our time” (Yo-Yo Ma). Its members have received the “highest praise for their technical aplomb, their musicality, and their sheer human authenticity.” (Bloomberg News). Live music and community engagement are vital components of the Mark Morris Dance Group, which has toured with its own musicians, the MMDG Music Ensemble, since 1996. The Mark Morris Dance Center, opened in Brooklyn in 2001, is the home of the Dance Group and provides educational opportunities in dance and music to people of all ages and abilities.