"I believe talent is like electricity. We don’t understand electricity. We use it. You can plug into it and light up a lamp, keep a heart pump going, light a cathedral, or you can electrocute a person with it. Electricity will do all that. It makes no judgment. I think talent is like that. I believe every person is born with talent."
~ Maya Angelou
"Dance is for everybody. I believe that the dance came from the people and that it should always be delivered back to the people".~Alvin Ailey
“I do not try to dance better than anyone else, I only try to dance better than myself”
~Mikhail Baryshnikov
"When the technique subsides, raw appeal leads and nobody is conscientious...
"WE HAVE WHAT IS CALLED PERFORMANCE!"
"YOUR ACTIONS CREATE YOUR LEGACY NOT THE NAME BEHIND YOU!"
~TinaThompson
MISSION
Based in New York 'SKIN' -The Tina Thompson Dance Company Inc. (a 501(c)3 organization) thrives on being an innovative and creative dance force encompassing an array of talents and styles. SKIN strives to blend distinctive forms of dance with energetic personalities while propelling the art to new horizons. We aim to make dance accessible to everyone and that is why we call ourselves the Dance Company for all. Being fearless and uninhibited through the exploration of movement theory enables SKIN to reincarnate the 'soul' of motion. Through the intergration of many cultures, dance forms and backgrounds SKIN positions itself as one of the leaders in the new era of CONTEMPORARY FUSION. Through thisour vision has clearly been established and announced. We explore the relationships between contemporary jazz and modern techniques to provide a conceptualized performance/study for our audience. TTDC performance venues include Tribeca Theatre, Symphony Space, Alvin Ailey Citi-Corp Theatre, International festivals and more.
Led by Founder/Artistic Director Tina Thompson-Pope, SKIN- TTDC was established in 2003 as a vehicle for artistic value and self-expression through the language of dance. SKIN- TTDC seeks to provide the opportunities, challenges and infrastructures for personal growth to its artists, students, community members and future generations to come. As a diverse, four dimensional (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) performing arts organization, We strive to create and perform choreography based on storytelling and universal themes in a contemporary-fused modern dance style that is accessible and relatable. Through spirit, passion, self-awareness and pride we celebrate the art of DANCE!
Available for Festivals/ Group Performances or Tour
Review of Tina Thompson's SKIN DANCE
Symphony Space, June 7, 2009:
"I have been attending concerts by this company for three years. They are amazing and get better and better every concert. Tina Thompson's choreography is rich, visceral, fast-paced and beautiful. Her dancers are capable of daredevil feats, cartwheels and 182 degree extensions. They had the audience frequently standing and screaming! Their progress is such that they are now raising funds for their first tour. Kudos to all! Marlo, producer of NIGHTSHOTS
Review of Tina Thompson's SKIN DANCE
Aaron Davis Hall June 27, 2010:
You take the physical techniques of ballet and lay the expressive modern dance idioms on that muscular base. Mix in the influence of African-American culture and experience. Add some profound musical choices. THAT is SKIN-TTDC. I get it and am not going to miss that show. - MATTHEW LEPOLD
Classes in Dance, Pilates Mat, Strength, Praise Dance,
Cardio, Ballet & More...
OPEN HOUSE MAY, 2012
@ SKIN- Tina Thompson Studio
310 103rd Street
Riverside Drive, New York
(Red Door side entrance)
GRACEOLOGY & Performance DVD'S available
COME OUT TO SUPPORT THE DOCUMENTARY SHOWING OF 'SKIN DEEP'- The Tina Thompson Dance Company/Theatre Directed by the incredible Gregorio Smith
Reception/greet-meet after the showing (SKIN VIDEOS, APPAREL, ETC...) All are welcome to attend. Seating is limited arrive by 5pm 6:00 PM - Anthology Film Archives : Film Screenings An international center for the preservation, study, and exhibition of film and video with a particular focus on American independent and avant-garde cinema and its precursors found in classic European, Soviet and Japanese film.
We are available for national and international; corporate events, performances, touring engagements and always welcome your donations to our vision and mission.
New Fitness Idea: Ballet-Inspired Workouts
August 30, 2011
Between ballerina buns and Black Swan-inspired clothes, it seems like ballet is having a big moment right now. So when we heard Crunch offered a ballet fitness class called "Tutu Fresh," we had to check it out!
The workout: Tutu Fresh is a ballet class set to music by artists like Beyoncé and Katy Perry , and it's based on the principles of ballet, jazz, and modern dance. It uses basic dance techniques and classic ballet positions to try to bring out the inner ballerina in you.
The Promise: The instructor Tina Thompson promised our quads and hamstrings would be burning from all the pliés and relevés, and that my shoulders and back would kill from keeping my arms "en haut" (raised high) the whole class.
The Real Deal: We were dripping with sweat within ten minutes from the start of class, because Tina works you hard. It was non-stop jumping, squatting, and bending — all while trying to look graceful! We learned a (seemingly) simple combination, sort of like a super-mini routine, which we repeated with faster music and a quicker pace as the class progressed. Between the intense combinations and the constant jumping, we were so tired. We could really feel the burn in our calves, quads, and lower back — and our feet kept cramping up from keeping them pointed!
Grace Jones was born in Spanish Town, Jamaica, in 1948. Before becoming a successful model in New York City and Paris, Jones studied theatre at Syracuse University. She secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance club hits and a large gay following.
Towards the end of the 1970s, Jones adapted the emerging New Wave music to create a different style for herself. Still with Island Records, she released the acclaimed albums Warm Leatherette (1980) and Nightclubbing (1981).
Parallel to her musical shift was an equally dramatic visual makeover, created in partnership with stylist Jean-Paul Goude, with whom she had a son. Jones adopted a severe, androgynous look, with square-cut hair and angular, padded clothes. To this day, Jones is known for her unique look as much as she is for her music. Skin Dance Company looks foward to the process of experiencing Grace's VISION. Among the companys repertory
Tina Thompson will present an evening premiere work set to the music of the icon herself
