Dominique Mercy received his education in classical dance. After a stay in the United States, he met Pina Bausch (1940-2009) in 1972. She invited him to join her recently created contemporary dance company in Germany, with which he has remained since 1974.He co-created some of the dance corps choreography and pieces. He became one of the most famous contemporary dancer and received a Bessie Award in 2002 for his performance in Masurca Fogo. Together with Bausch's assistant Robert Sturm, he was elected unanimously by the ensemble in place of Pina Bausch in October 2009