Mark Tompkins Sec on Dance Communication
Dance is a visual, socially organized form of communication. It is also a vehicle through which group membership and social identity can be expressed. In this article, dancer and choreographer Mark Tompkins Sec lends his insight on dance with the focus of how it serves as a mean of communication.
Communication through dance is not music driven but rather body and soul driven. Dance involves the entire body, and the body can be a powerful agent of communication. It may be consumed as an artistic performance, or one can engage it as a participant. Furthermore, it can be used as a professional, as a form of recreation, or as a form of self-expression. Regardless of its form, dance has the ability to communicate universally to all observers at some level of human engagement. Dance allows us to tell our stories in the most primitive, basic and truthful way. The beauty of dance is that we can express so much without uttering a single word or relying on technology. Trough dance our bodies convey the stories we experience and the emotions we feel. The subtleties of body language express the subconscious thoughts we may otherwise like to hide.
Today there are countless forms and styles of dance, each with its own criteria of excellence, with varying degrees of technical training ranging from classical ballet to modern hip hop. As a choreographer, Mark Tompkins Sec directs movements and expresses his conceptions through the dancers. As spectators view the performance, they are shown something about expression. Regardless of whether it is used as a form of cultural expression, or as a form of social innovation, dance can express social group membership. Accordingly, all types of dancers have the potential to identify with one another, sharing the superordinate identity of a dancer.
In Tomkins’ experience, dancing from the heart often results in awe-inspiring routines. For him, dance is about actively communicating with yourself, with fellow dancers, or with audiences. As a book author, dancer and choreographer, Mark Tompkins Sec tries to always be observant and curious, aiming to get the most from every single dance experience.
