Mark Bruce

MARK BRUCE has choreographed and danced professionally in the UK and abroad, working with Rosas, Bern Ballet, Introdans,  Extemporary Dance Theatre and DJazzex among others. In 1991 Mark launched The Mark Bruce Company. Productions include Moonlight Drive (1991), Lovesick (1995), Helen, Angel (1996), Horse, BlackBird/RedRose (1998), Dive (1999) and the celebrated collaboration with Polly Jean Harvey and John Parish titled Dance Hall At Louse Point (1997).

In 2000 Mark moved to Somerset and took a break to pursue other projects. In 2005 he returned to make Fever To Tell for Probe, Green Apples for the ROH’s Clore Studio Summer Collection and Bad History for the Place Prize 2006. In September 2006 Sea of Bones premiered at Frome, Somerset’s Merlin Theatre, followed by a UK tour throughout 2007.

Mark’s theatre work includes Manchester Royal Exchange productions of The Bacchae (premiere November 2010), Antigone, The Glass Menagerie, The Revenger’s Tragedy, Antony & Cleopatra, Peer Gynt, As You Like It, Fast Food, Still Time and The Way of the World. He directed Rick Bland’s Thick for the Edinburgh Fringe and in Canada and New York. He has also worked in a variety of new media, screen and interactive stage productions with Ruth Gibson & Bruno Martelli of Igloo. He has written music for his own productions and also for art installations, films and also video promotions for the company.

Mark created The Sky or a Bird for Probe’s 2008 UK tour and Stars for Dance South West’s Rural Tour 2008. He co-devised Skellig- an opera based on the book by David Almond – for the Sage Gateshead in 2008.  Bruce’s Crimes of Passion, commissioned by Bern Ballet, premiered in January 2010.  The Mark Bruce Company premiered its new full-evening work,  Love and War, at the Tobacco Factory Theatre on 7 May 2010 followed by a U.K tour. Medea, his second commission by Bern Ballet, premiered in February 2011.

Mark is Associate Artist of the Tobacco Factory, Bristol and an Affiliated Artist of the Merlin Theatre, Frome. He teaches classes and workshops internationally.

Mark’s book of short stories, Blackout Zones, was released in May 2010.