Mark N Tompkins (born 1954), is a French artist, dancer and choreographer of contemporary dance.

Biography

Trained at the Theatre of Movement and Gesture, Tompkins moved to France in 1973, and discovered the dance with Hideyuki Yano and Elsa Wolliaston. In 1975, he made his first solos in some abandoned locations and worked with

Steve Paxton Steven Douglas Paxton (January 21, 1939 – February 20, 2024) was an American experimental dancer and choreographer. His early background was in gymnastics while his later training included three years with Merce Cunningham and a year with Jos� ...

. In 1983 he founded the company IDA (''International Associated Dreams'') and won the Bagnolet contest the following year. In 2008, Mark Tompkins received the SEC SACD (''Society of Dramatic Authors and Composers'') prize for Choreography for all his work.

Choreography

Mark Tompkins' interest in improvisation and real time composition leads him to collaborate through teaching and performing with many dancers, musicians, light designers and video makers. Over the years, his unique way of fabricating unidentified performance objects has become his signature. Tompkins' performances evolve towards musical theater, inspired by popular forms like Music Hall, cabaret and musical comedy. Some of Mark Tompkins's most notable performances are: * 1976 : Naked Traces * 1978 : Each One's Own * 1981 : Sweet Dreems * 1983 : Empty Holes * 1985 – 1987 : Betrayal * 1988 : Nouvelles for the Avignon Festival, based on the novel IDA by

Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in Allegheny, Pennsylvania (now part of Pittsburgh), and raised in Oakland, California, Stein moved to Paris in 1903, and ...

* 1992 : Witness, Hommage à Harry Sheppard * 1996 : Gravity * 1996 : Under My Skin, Hommage à Josephine Baker * 1998 : Tributes to Montrose Capital * 2000 : RemiXamor * 2005 : Animal Male * 2007 : Animal Female * 2011 : Black'N'Blues Canaccord In 2014, Mark Tompkins and Jeremy Wade performed their collaboratively-developed play Stardust in underground theater of the

Abrons Arts Center The Henry Street Settlement is a not-for-profit social service agency on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, New York City that provides social services, arts programs and health care services to New Yorkers of all ages. It was founded under the ...

as part of the 2014 Queer New York International Arts Festival.

References

External links

I.D.A. Mark Tompkins

Males In Contemporary Ballets
1954 births Living people American emigrants to France Contemporary dance choreographers Contemporary dancers French choreographers French male dancers {{contemporary-dance-stub