Noémie Lafrance
Encyclopedia
Noémie Lafrance is a Canadian-born choreographer living and working in New York since 1994. She is known for making large-scale site-specific dance performances that uses the architecture of the city as settings for her work. She is the founder and artistic director of Sens Production—a not-for-profit dance production company based in Brooklyn and founded in 2001. She has received a Bessie Award and a MVPA award for her work. The Feist music video 1234
that she choreographed was nominated for a Grammy
.
Her piece Descent was performed in a twelve-story stairwell designed by legendary architect Stanford White
in Lower Manhattan
. The performance ran more than 80 times to a total audience of over 5000 people in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Noir, a piece staged in a parking garage and viewed by the audience through the windshield of their cars was presented as a part of the Whitney Biennial
and was co-produced by Danspace Project
in 2004. Lafrance was commissioned by the Neuberger Museum of Art to create Unseen: Landscapes, a performance inspired by April Gornik
’s paintings and performed by the MFA students at Purchase College SUNY in fall of 2004. Her work Migrations, was commissioned by the Whitney Museum at Altria, and was performed as part of the 2005 Performance on 42nd Street. Agora, followed by its second version, Agora II, were produced and presented by Sens Production in the abandoned McCarren Park Pool site in Brooklyn in 2005 and 2006. The performance reopened the abandoned site to the public for the first time in 20 years, was seen by more than 15,000 people and was performed more than 30 times. She choreographed Invasion as part of Dance Charettes produced by Dancing in the Streets at Governor's Island. In 2008, Lafrance was commissioned to create Rapture using the architecture of the Frank Gehry
-designed The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College in the Hudson Valley
, NY. Lafrance has since started a series of performances sponsored by Tiffany & Co.
staging other Gehry designs worldwide. In 2009, she choreographed and performed a solo work called Home using her body as the site for the performance. Her work Melt originally created in 2003 in the Black and White Gallery’s courtyard in Brooklyn
, features dancers covered in bee’s wax and lanolin performing on seats attached to a wall. Melt toured to the Festival TransAmerique, in Montreal, Mellemrum in Copenhagen and SESC in São Paulo, Brazil in 2008.
Noémie Lafrance has worked on films, videos and TV commercials since 2007. The Feist video 1234 which she choreographed was featured on the Apple iPod Nano commercial and aired internationally. She recently choreographed the viral commercial Daffy’s dance for the clothing retailer Daffy’s in 2009. She has collaborated with director Patrick Daughters
on several videos and commercials and with visual artist Doug Aitken
on his film installation Sleepwalking, commissioned by MOMA
in winter 2007. She has also worked with David Byrne
on the choreography of his latest world tour launching his new album with Brian Eno
in September 2008. Ms Lafrance was commissioned to choreograph the Opera King Rogers and Ballet Harnasie for twelve dancers and fifty chorus singers directed by Lech Majeski in the summer of 2008 at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.
Lafrance made her debut as a film director with Rapture, a black and white short film featuring elements of her performance staging the architecture of Frank Gehry
in 2008. In 2009, she recently a short film, her first site-specific choreography for the camera entitled Eyes Nose Mouth. Recently, she directed and choreographed Melt in 2010, a short dance film inspired by the Melt live performance work.
Her Film works include:
1234 (song)
"1234" is a song from Feist's third studio album, The Reminder. It is Feist's most successful single to date. The song was co-written by Sally Seltmann, an Australian singer-songwriter who also recorded under the name New Buffalo, and Feist...
that she choreographed was nominated for a Grammy
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
.
Her piece Descent was performed in a twelve-story stairwell designed by legendary architect Stanford White
Stanford White
Stanford White was an American architect and partner in the architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White, the frontrunner among Beaux-Arts firms. He designed a long series of houses for the rich and the very rich, and various public, institutional, and religious buildings, some of which can be found...
in Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
. The performance ran more than 80 times to a total audience of over 5000 people in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Noir, a piece staged in a parking garage and viewed by the audience through the windshield of their cars was presented as a part of the Whitney Biennial
Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Biennial is a biennale exhibition of contemporary American art, typically by young and lesser known artists, on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, USA. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932, the first biennial was in 1973...
and was co-produced by Danspace Project
Danspace Project
Danspace Project was founded in 1974 to provide a performance venue for contemporary dance. Its performances are held in St. Mark's Church in the East Village area of the Manhattan borough of New York City.-History and mission:...
in 2004. Lafrance was commissioned by the Neuberger Museum of Art to create Unseen: Landscapes, a performance inspired by April Gornik
April Gornik
April Gornik is an American artist, known for her American landscape paintings.Her work Storm and Fires is included into the collection of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, as well as in many other national museums and private collections.In 2007, The Smithsonian Art Collectors Program...
’s paintings and performed by the MFA students at Purchase College SUNY in fall of 2004. Her work Migrations, was commissioned by the Whitney Museum at Altria, and was performed as part of the 2005 Performance on 42nd Street. Agora, followed by its second version, Agora II, were produced and presented by Sens Production in the abandoned McCarren Park Pool site in Brooklyn in 2005 and 2006. The performance reopened the abandoned site to the public for the first time in 20 years, was seen by more than 15,000 people and was performed more than 30 times. She choreographed Invasion as part of Dance Charettes produced by Dancing in the Streets at Governor's Island. In 2008, Lafrance was commissioned to create Rapture using the architecture of the Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
-designed The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College in the Hudson Valley
Hudson Valley
The Hudson Valley comprises the valley of the Hudson River and its adjacent communities in New York State, United States, from northern Westchester County northward to the cities of Albany and Troy.-History:...
, NY. Lafrance has since started a series of performances sponsored by Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co.
Tiffany & Co. is an American jewelry and silverware company. As part of its branding, the company is strongly associated with its Tiffany Blue , which is a registered trademark.- History :...
staging other Gehry designs worldwide. In 2009, she choreographed and performed a solo work called Home using her body as the site for the performance. Her work Melt originally created in 2003 in the Black and White Gallery’s courtyard in Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, features dancers covered in bee’s wax and lanolin performing on seats attached to a wall. Melt toured to the Festival TransAmerique, in Montreal, Mellemrum in Copenhagen and SESC in São Paulo, Brazil in 2008.
Noémie Lafrance has worked on films, videos and TV commercials since 2007. The Feist video 1234 which she choreographed was featured on the Apple iPod Nano commercial and aired internationally. She recently choreographed the viral commercial Daffy’s dance for the clothing retailer Daffy’s in 2009. She has collaborated with director Patrick Daughters
Patrick Daughters
Patrick Daughters is an American music video and commercial director currently signed to The Directors Bureau, after departing Black Dog Films in late 2006....
on several videos and commercials and with visual artist Doug Aitken
Doug Aitken
-Early life and career:Doug Aitken was born in Redondo Beach, California in 1968. In 1987, he initially studied magazine illustration with Philip Hays at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena before graduating in Fine Arts in 1991. He moved to New York in 1994 where he had his first solo...
on his film installation Sleepwalking, commissioned by MOMA
Moma
Moma may refer to:* Moma , an owlet moth genus* Moma Airport, a Russian public airport* Moma District, Nampula, Mozambique* Moma River, a right tributary of the Indigirka River* Google Moma, the Google corporate intranet...
in winter 2007. She has also worked with David Byrne
David Byrne
David Byrne may refer to:*David Byrne , musician and former Talking Heads frontman**David Byrne , his eponymous album*David Byrne , Irish footballer*David Byrne , English footballer...
on the choreography of his latest world tour launching his new album with Brian Eno
Brian Eno
Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno , commonly known as Brian Eno or simply as Eno , is an English musician, composer, record producer, singer and visual artist, known as one of the principal innovators of ambient music.Eno studied at Colchester Institute art school in Essex,...
in September 2008. Ms Lafrance was commissioned to choreograph the Opera King Rogers and Ballet Harnasie for twelve dancers and fifty chorus singers directed by Lech Majeski in the summer of 2008 at the Fisher Center for the Performing Arts.
Lafrance made her debut as a film director with Rapture, a black and white short film featuring elements of her performance staging the architecture of Frank Gehry
Frank Gehry
Frank Owen Gehry, is a Canadian American Pritzker Prize-winning architect based in Los Angeles, California.His buildings, including his private residence, have become tourist attractions...
in 2008. In 2009, she recently a short film, her first site-specific choreography for the camera entitled Eyes Nose Mouth. Recently, she directed and choreographed Melt in 2010, a short dance film inspired by the Melt live performance work.
Works
Her choreography works include:- Descent (2001–2003)
- Melt (2003–2010)
- Noir (2004)
- Agora (2005)
- Agora II (2006)
- Rapture (2008)
- Home (2009)
- Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno TourSongs of David Byrne and Brian Eno TourThe Songs of David Byrne and Brian Eno Tour is a 2008–2009 promotional concert tour of music co-written by David Byrne and Brian Eno with performances by Byrne...
(2009–2010)
Her Film works include:
- Descent (2003)
- Rapture (2008)
- Eyes nose mouth (2009)
- Melt (2010)