Body of Work

Kampnagel Hamburg · 2006 – 2015

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. The productions were supported by the Kulturbehörde Hamburg and the Fonds Darstellende Künste.

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

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.

Tap training at schools and workshops across Germany; first stage performances.

Training and performances at the Colorado Dance Festival, Boulder, USA.

Workshop and solo performance in Recife, Brazil; 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.

Member of Brenda Bufalino's American Tap Dance Orchestra, NYC; performances with Gregory Hines in Gainesville, Florida. Founds his own jazz quartet.

Five-week US tour with the American Tap Dance Orchestra; Visual Music with his jazz quartet; guest teacher in Tel Aviv.

Choreography and artistic direction for the ARD gala Sportler des Jahres; New Thing! with an eight-piece jazz band.

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; guest teacher at ImPulsTanz – Vienna International Dance Festival; begins working as a theatre and dance photographer.

Choreography and performances with the Paris hip hop company Funk Attitude; Kleinkunstpreis of the Moers comedy festival; moves to Hamburg.

Founds and directs the tap ensemble Funked Up; premiere at Tanzhaus NRW, Düsseldorf.

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.

Duo bebelaar & marek; tap&bass premiere For Your Eyes Only, Stuttgart; collaboration with Angela Guerreiro on exposure no. 6, Hamburg.

about_tap vol. 1, researched in Cologne, Boston and Paris, premieres at Tanzhaus NRW with a photo exhibition; Tap City Festival NYC at the Joyce Theater with Patrick Bebelaar.

about_tap vol. 2 at Kampnagel Hamburg.

Founds Studio Footprints in Hamburg; tap&bass Music Evolution at Kampnagel; 2nd prize at the Canon Professional Award for photography.

ORCHESTRA – expansions & dimensions at Kampnagel; guest performances at Zürcher Theater Spektakel and Tanzhaus NRW.

Premiere of Thomas Marek & Band at Überjazz Festival Hamburg; guest performances in New Orleans.

DRAMA – love songs & other jazz at Kampnagel; guest lecturer at the University of Washington, Seattle.

Tap & jazz performance with Sarah Petronio & Band at Kampnagel; tap&bass in St. Petersburg.

Concerts and workshops in Germany, the USA and Sweden; research for NOLA in New Orleans.

Soloist in Duke Ellington's Sacred Concert, Freiberg; premiere of NOLA at Kampnagel Hamburg.

Founds the Professional Tap Dance Training at Studio Footprints.

Premiere of BEATS at the Internationale Jazztage, Theaterhaus Stuttgart; moves to Austria.

Thomas Marek Quartet; concerts with Patrick Bebelaar; the audiovisual installation Public Parks, exhibited in Dresden and Vienna.

Debut album Footprints with the Thomas Marek Trio (HGBSBlue).

Scholarship of the Kunststiftung Baden-Württemberg, dance department

Kleinkunstpreis of the Moers comedy festival

1st prize for choreography, tap ahead award 2001, Tanzhaus NRW (with Karolin Schäfer)

2nd prize, Canon Professional Award, for the fashion series Fashion Victims

Funding

Kulturbehörde Hamburg

about_tap vol. 2, ORCHESTRA, DRAMA, NOLA