Joy-Marie Thompson is a dancer, choreographer, creative director, and certified ANIMAL FLOW©* instructor from Pittsburgh, PA who is making work that is rooted in the curiosity, spirit, and advocacy of our bodies. Thompson is currently based in New York, NY where she is primarily a resident at Punchdrunk/Emursive's McKittrick Hotel. When she is not conjuring the dance gods, Joy-Marie spends time teaching dance, modeling, writing, consulting, and/or enjoying nature.
Access my curriculum vitae (CV) here for more details.
Artist Statement
As a Black woman who was born via the roots of spirit, legacy, trauma, and lost stories, I am interested in the following question: How can I practice a life that embodies the Spirit of Liberation? I use dance improvisation, meditation, somatic and psychology methodologies, African Diasporic history, awareness of trauma, and Black aesthetics to get me to that answer.
These practices bring me to constantly acknowledge and uplift the Black forerunners (some of who are my ancestors) who paved the way for me to create the work that I do today. They passed the torch of Liberation to me.
The least I could do is get the torch prepared, to light it in a blissful fire, and one day pass it on.