Toshiko Tompkins

Christophe Maraval

ToshikoTOMPKINS

Owner/Director

Toshiko Tompkins danced professionally in Tokyo. Toshiko and her husband Jay have been benefactor's of ballet since 1987. They sponsored several performances of the Star Dancers Ballet in Tokyo. After moving to Washington, D.C., they sponsored two separate performances by the National Ballet of Japan at the Kennedy center. Mrs. Tompkins also sponsored numerous other ballet productions in McLean, Virginia.

Toshiko and Jay are also major supporters of the American Dance Festival through their friendship with Charles and the late Stephanie Reinhart, Co-directors of the Festival. The Reinharts also were Directors of Dance at The Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Toshiko and Jay's daughter, Mimi Tompkins, dances with The San Francisco Ballet. 

Toshiko founded the Naples Academy of Ballet in 2008 and has built the school into one of the finest in Southwest Florida. Students from her academy and the community currently put on two ballet productions a year; one in December and one in May. 
 

ChristopheMARAVAL

Artistic Director/Ballet Master

After nine years as a Principal dancer with Pacific Northwest Ballet, Mr. Maraval retired at the end of the 2007 season to join the faculty at "Ecole Superieure de Ballet Contemporain de Montreal"…the most prestigious school in Quebec. Mr. Maraval has been teaching Vaganova style ballet with some French Flair, American musicality and energy, to all levels of students and has also coached for numerous competitions and other performances. Christophe’s style is to teach his students the method, rigor and passion for dance. He believes Ballet is discipline and it will follow you all your life.  
 
Mr. Maraval began his training at the Opera de Paris and the Superior Conservatory of Paris and at age 16 joined the Ballet national de NANCY (under Pierre Lacotte). He left after 6 seasons to work with Nanette Glushak at The Ballet du Capitole in Toulouse (France). It was in Toulouse that he discovered Balanchine and decided to move to America, first with Cincinnati Ballet under the direction of Victoria Morgan, and finally PNB under Kent Stowell, Francia Russel and Peter Boal.
 
During his career Mr. Maraval danced with various professional Ballets in the US and Canada as a Guest Artist including Tulsa Ballet, Oklahoma Ballet and Gala Des Etoiles of Montreal 2004, 2007.
 
With a vast repertory, some of his favorite ballets are from George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Val Caniparoly, Ben Stevenson, Richard Tanner, Glen Tetley, Jose Limon, Jerome Robins, Ulysses Dove, Kent Stowel and more. Numerous choreographers created ballets for Mr. Maraval such as Kirk Peterson (Amazing Burning dream, Carmen), Paul Gibson (Rush, Piano dance), Dominique Dumais (Scripted in the body, Time, and Others Matters).