Motor Ballet didn’t begin with a single moment of inspiration but with a lifelong curiosity about what lies beyond the boundaries of language, logic, and perception. For the enigmatic artist behind the project, music isn’t about giving answers—it’s about making space for questions to breathe. “I’ve always been drawn to the edges—of thought, of language, of what we consider real,” he explains. Motor Ballet is the musical theater story-world creation of songwriter Dan Markosian—part songwriter, part mythmaker, and part architect of emotion. With each release, Motor Ballet doesn’t just compose—he architects, crafting story-worlds that invite listeners to step into mythologies both deeply personal and eerily universal.
Their sound defies easy classification, living somewhere between progressive folk, baroque pop, and neo-psychedelia. Think Kate Bush meets Peter Gabriel with a dash of Joanna Newsom’s literary surrealism. What emerges is music that feels like theater at the edge of reality—cinematic, intricate, and built to be experienced, not streamed passively. “The songs are part of a story-world,” he explains. And indeed, every track feels like a portal: a melodic keyhole into larger mythic systems, waiting for the listener to lean in and decode.
As an independent artist, Motor Ballet faces the dual challenge of complexity and invisibility. “It’s not built for background listening,” he admits, fully aware that their immersive vision can be a hard sell in an algorithm-driven landscape. But compromise isn’t on the table. Every arrangement, lyric, and design choice is part of a whole. “I’m interested in resonance, in myth,” he says—art that lingers, unsettles, and ultimately sticks. And for those who do step into Motor Ballet’s universe, the pull is magnetic.
The magic doesn’t come in flashy milestones, but in the quiet echoes of impact. Take Ivy Otto, a recurring character in the Motor Ballet canon. “Someone told me he didn’t know if Ivy was real or imagined, but it helped them feel understood,” he shared. These kinds of responses—where a fictional construct becomes a mirror—are the real victories. It’s not about closure. It’s about giving listeners room to feel uncertain and still seen.
Connection grows organically. On social media, Motor Ballet doesn’t pander—he posts clues, fragments, and glimpses into their evolving mythology. Fans respond in kind, sending annotated lyrics, interpretations, and even diagrams of the song-worlds. “I love when people try to map it out,” he says. And while live performances remain largely under wraps, he promises a theatrical, immersive experience true to the music’s DNA.
Right now, Motor Ballet is deep into their next project: a dual album unfolding two intertwined mythologies. The Deep Underground explores buried truths and subterranean longings, while Impossible meditates on glitching realities and fractured identities. “It feels urgent but strange,” he hints—lyrics pulled from psychic breakthroughs and half-forgotten dreams. The new material is expected in 2026, alongside visual and stage components that will bring these parallel worlds to life.
“Thank you for listening, for wondering what it all means,” Motor Ballet tells their fans. “If you’ve felt something pulling at the edges of your world, I’m writing for you.” With that ethos, Motor Ballet isn’t just making music—he’s building a universe. One where story, sound, and myth collide, and nothing is ever quite what it seems.
