Thomas Ford

Thomas Ford, MFA, is an Assistant Professor of Practice and interdisciplinary contemporary dance artist-scholar examining identity and culture through embodiment, choreography, and Black, queer, critical, and performance studies. He collaborates with artistic partner Steven Atwater to create works exploring intersections of social, political, and cultural histories with collective aesthetics using original sound scores, technology-mediated forms, and movement vocabularies inspired by historically ostracized bodies and sci-fi folklore.

His educational background includes:

• BA from Marymount Manhattan College
• MFA in Dance from Hunter College/CUNY

Ford's research synthesizes contemporary dance practices with critical identity theories, focusing on how embodied choreography interrogates systemic marginalization. His creative methodology incorporates technology and speculative fiction to reconstruct narratives from historically ostracized perspectives, resulting in performances that challenge conventional cultural frameworks through interdisciplinary world-building.

He has received the following recognition:

• Presidential Scholar (YoungArts)

Ford serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Dance Education (JoDE) and contributes to major publications including ELLE, Dance Magazine, and the Brooklyn Rail. His choreographic works have been presented at the Joyce Theater, Symphony Space, Ailey Citigroup Theater, and Capezio A.C.E. Awards. Performance credits span The Kennedy Center Honors, NBC's Today Show, PBS's A Capitol Fourth, and collaborations with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.

He maintains an active artistic partnership with Steven Atwater that forms the foundation of his research-creation practice, developing projects that merge scholarly inquiry with performance innovation across theater, broadcast, and experimental venue contexts.