Since 1992 – tap dance, music, dance theatre
Body of Work
Productions, bands, teaching and collaborations – more than 30 years of rhythm.
Biography
More than 30 years of rhythm
Thomas Marek (*1972) is an Austrian tap dancer, drummer, photographer and multidisciplinary artist, regarded as one of the leading artists of modern tap dance in Europe. Born in Ludwigsburg, Germany, he started tap dancing at 15 and later studied with legendary figures such as Brenda Bufalino, Barbara Duffy, Cholly Atkins and Honi Coles.
In 1994 he created his first full-length tap show with live music, and from 1994 to 1996 he danced in Brenda Bufalino’s American Tap Dance Orchestra. In 1999 he moved to Hamburg, where he became a prominent figure in the tap and contemporary dance scene and founded the tap studio Footprints, which is still active today.
Kampnagel Hamburg · 2006 – 2015
(Tap) Dance Theatre
Between 2006 and 2015 Marek conceived, choreographed and directed four full-length dance theatre productions at Kampnagel Hamburg: about_tap vol. 2, ORCHESTRA – expansions & dimensions, DRAMA – love songs & other jazz and NOLA.
Sold-out theatres testify to his ability to bring tap dance to a wider audience, with musical reflections on cultural tradition and individual expression, woven from jazz, choreography and improvisation.
Since 2017 in Vienna
Tap & drums
After decades of playing his band mates’ drums at rehearsals and soundchecks, Marek took up drumming seriously in 2020. Since moving to Vienna in 2017 he has focused on combining tap dance and drumming in live shows, from jazz to free improvisation and electronic music.
He has shared the stage with Frank Kimbrough, Ben Allison, Brenda Bufalino, Jarle Vespestad, Patrick Bebelaar, Sarah Petronio, Joe Fonda, Jimmy Slyde, Barbara Duffy, Jan Roder, Johannes Strasser, Kurt Holzkämper, Gregory Hines and many others.
Selected works
1985–92
Tap training at schools and workshops across Germany; first stage performances.
1992
Training and performances at the Colorado Dance Festival, Boulder, USA.
1993
Training in New York at Woodpeckers, Steps on Broadway and Broadway Dance Center with Brenda Bufalino, Chuck Green and Barbara Duffy; performances in New York jazz clubs.
1994
Member of Brenda Bufalino's American Tap Dance Orchestra, NYC; performances with Gregory Hines in Gainesville, Florida. Founds his own jazz quartet.
1995
Five-week US tour with the American Tap Dance Orchestra; Visual Music with his jazz quartet; guest teacher in Tel Aviv.
1996
Choreography and artistic direction for the ARD gala Sportler des Jahres; New Thing! with an eight-piece jazz band.
1997
Scholarship of the Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg; Al Lewis in Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys, Scala Ludwigsburg; founds the duo tap&bass with Kurt Holzkämper.
1998–99
Choreography and performances with the Paris hip hop company Funk Attitude; Kleinkunstpreis of the Moers comedy festival; moves to Hamburg.
2000–01
Founds and directs the tap ensemble Funked Up; premiere at Tanzhaus NRW, Düsseldorf.
2002
Choreography and lead role in the ARTE production Stamp; 1st prize at the tap ahead award; founds the studio nullviernull in Hamburg; Jack Romano in Down by Law, Scala Ludwigsburg.
2003
Duo bebelaar & marek; tap&bass premiere For Your Eyes Only, Stuttgart.
2005
about_tap vol. 1 at Tanzhaus NRW with a photo exhibition; Tap City Festival NYC at the Joyce Theater with Patrick Bebelaar.
2006
about_tap vol. 2 at Kampnagel Hamburg.
2007
Founds Studio Footprints in Hamburg; tap&bass Music Evolution at Kampnagel; 2nd prize at the Canon Professional Award for photography.
2009
ORCHESTRA – expansions & dimensions at Kampnagel; guest performances at Zürcher Theater Spektakel and Tanzhaus NRW.
2011
Premiere of Thomas Marek & Band at Überjazz Festival Hamburg; guest performances in New Orleans.
2012
DRAMA – love songs & other jazz at Kampnagel; guest lecturer at the University of Washington, Seattle.
2013
Tap & jazz performance with Sarah Petronio & Band at Kampnagel; tap&bass in St. Petersburg.
2015
Soloist in Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert, Freiberg; premiere of NOLA at Kampnagel Hamburg.
2016
Founds the Professional Tap Dance Training at Studio Footprints.
2017
Premiere of BEATS at the Internationale Jazztage, Theaterhaus Stuttgart; moves to Austria.
2019–21
Thomas Marek Quartet; concerts with Patrick Bebelaar; the audiovisual installation Public Parks, exhibited in Dresden and Vienna.
2025
Debut album Footprints with the Thomas Marek Trio (HGBSBlue).
2026
European tour Tap, Rhythm & Swing with Kurt Albert, Clemens Salesny and Joe Fonda.
Video archive
Productions, concerts and promos from 1996 to today.
Thomas Marek – demo reel
Bebelaar, Roder, Marek – Thomas Marek Trio
“BEATS” – performance by Tap & Bass
“Caravan” – Thomas Marek & Band
NOLA, Kampnagel Hamburg 2015 – final scene
NOLA, Kampnagel Hamburg 2015 – trailer
NOLA, Kampnagel Hamburg 2015 – “Phoenix 2”
NOLA, Kampnagel Hamburg 2015 – “Phoenix 1”
DRAMA, Kampnagel Hamburg 2011 – “I am three” by Charles Mingus
DRAMA, Kampnagel Hamburg 2011 – “Jazz & Cocktails”
ORCHESTRA – expansions & dimensions, Kampnagel Hamburg 2009
Thomas Marek Sextet, live at Überjazz 2011, Kampnagel Hamburg
Tap & Bass – premiere of BEATS, Int. Jazztage 2017, Theaterhaus Stuttgart
New Thing – Thomas Marek & Octet, 1996
ARD Sportgala 1996 – Thomas Marek & Friends
© 2026 Thomas Marek