BIOGRAPHY
Mark, (he/they) Philadelphia, graduated from the University of the Arts School of Dance (BFA, Dance & Ballet Performance). They’ve danced professionally with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Les Ballets Jazz De Montreal (BJM) and Camille A. Brown & Dancers. Mark is an award winning dancer and choreographer, including the Philadelphia Rocky Award for Outstanding Dance Performance, Pennsylvania Ballet Choreography Award, 2020 EMERGE Choreography Award from Gibney Company & Springboard Danse Montreal, and 2023 Princess Grace Award for Choreography. Mark premiered their first full evening length work at Gibney Dance NY in 2019, and since then has premiered 3 more full length works with their collective BIGKID DANCE in Philadelphia. Mark has been commissioned by American Ballet Theater (ABT Incubator), Whim W’him Contemporary Dance Seattle, Gibney Company, Philadelphia Ballet II, Dark Circles Contemporary Dance, Black Light Summit and DanceWorks Chicago for new choreographic works, and is a 2023 Choreography Fellow at Jacob’s Pillow. They’ve also created work on the University of the Arts School of Dance (Artist in residence 2021-2024), The Ailey School, Peridance Youth Ensemble and Pace University. Mark founded 'create + connect', an educational platform bringing in some of today's most influential choreographers, highlighting the work of LGBTQIA+ interdisciplinary artists. Currently, Mark is guest faculty at Peridance Center, Gibney Dance NY, MindLeaps, Bennington College, director/founder of BIGKID DANCE and a freelance educator, dancer, director and choreographer.
CLASS DESCRIPTION
We start with an injury safe/sensitive warmup with easy suggestive movement focusing on the internal body while progressing into more physical and intricate work. Moving through an open structure, I try to find a real connection to the floor and space, play with contrasting approaches and allow the dancers to find their own groove. I utilize classical, contemporary ballet, modern techniques and social dance, fuzed with isolation, imagery and connectivity to create loose phrase work as a structure for each dancer to explore their own language within.