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https://youtu.be/4PdopP1BHCg
Luc Louis de Lairesse Educator-Author-Choreographer-Master Teacher
“Luc is contributing artistically to our profession something of great importance: he is one of the very few practitioners around I would call a ‘master’ teacher.’ He demonstrates in teaching, not just excellence of process but also a kind of sensitivity and wisdom which permeates his approach… I think youth, perhaps unconsciously, becomes aware of and come to trust this sensitivity and wisdom and so become the more open to learn… truly innovative and certainly (in education language) ‘an original contribution to knowledge’...Ross Mc Kim, Art. Dir. Rambert National School of Ballet & Contemporary Dance, London.
“Luc has a strong US and International experience… He is deeply knowledgable and bring tremendous clarity and quality to his work. The joy that he brings to his work on a daily basis brings the best out in all who surround him. He is widely respected across the globe.” Rachel S. Moore, President & Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles Music Center.
“Luc has been described as a stage ‘wizard’ and his ‘Dance for your life’ was acclaimed as the ‘gala of the Century’. His breadth of experience is not only as a highly successful choreographer, with a keen sense of what we consider “contemporary” and forward thinking, his openness to new ideas and innovative approach is an asset to today’s arts community”. Matthew Kajcienski, Emmy Awarded Composer, Los Angeles/New York.
At the height of the AIDS crisis, Luc de Lairesse initiated and directed “Dance for your Life”, internationally hailed as the “Gala of the Century”, bringing together in Brussels, for the first time ever, the different governments of the Benelux to fund new research and to create programs inspiring similar movements in health and awareness development all over Europe. In an eclectic career that covers half a century, Luc has spoken out for human rights and education, starting life-changing programs by gathering performing artists, worldwide, creating large audiences while fundraising for awareness and peace, triggering international cultural events, workshops and performances. In New York, together with Patrick Duffy and Suzanna Vega, he was featured as a guest speaker at the opening of the “War and Peace” exhibition at the UN Headquarters in 1989 shown in 13 cities in 5 countries up to 1993, in an attempt to show how the nuclear weapons issue is interconnected with other global issues such as poverty and the lies around climate change and the threat to human security. Mega-Festivals to promote awareness for Tibetan Children and Artist in Exile, for physical and emotional healing (‘LIVE’, Vienna Austria) or special gala events such as the UNESCO-Dyslexia International Org. (Brussels) are amongst his many accomplishments. A Master teacher and educator, Luc will remain motivated to raising awareness for education within all youth communities and for minority groups, including the elder, believing that the Fine Arts play a vital role in society. He is a firm believer that the movement President Trump has started will prevail for a change in our daily communities, all over this planet.
Acclaimed by International press, public and colleagues alike, Luc organized and directed many major cultural and humanitarian events & festivals worldwide uniting professional artists yearly in Belgium, in Spain, in Austria or in Santa Fe (NM, USA). He also started the Aids project by directing Europe’s first Aids Gala in Brussels (Dance for your Life,) Santa Fe’s “Healing the Dancer”, in Vienna (Austria)“LIVE”, and again in Brussels PACT–Tibet; and to fight dyslexia, “Poetic Portals” for the Unesco organization, DITT, 2007). He was the founder/ senior editor for “DanseDans”, Belgium’s first dance journal and a guest speaker at major humanitarian events (Yehudi Menuhin’s Foundation, the United Nations, NYC, in Tokyo, Brussels, etc.). He prepared “The Ageless Tutu” for the San Francisco ‘Legion of Honour’ Museum, and during a year a ‘transition for artists’ project for SMART.BE in Brussels. He remains active as a counsellor and project director, while working on a second novel. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSz3JfCxYys&t=22s)
After studies in Brussels, Monte Carlo & Paris, Luc performed with leading companies such as the Royal Opera La Monnaie, Béjart Ballet, the Paris Opera, Balletti Carla Fracci, Ballets Monte-Carlo, Geneva Ballet, Ballet Theatre Français and as a First Soloist/Principal with Ballet du Grand Theatre de Nancy, Hannover State Opera Ballet, Festival Aix & French TV, in the classical repertoire & many creations and revivals (Balanchine, Béjart, Lazzini, P.Lacotte, A.Howard, J. Cranko, J.Charat, D. Bagouet, J.Taras, G.Caciuleanu, etc.)
A pedagogue and a versatile choreographer, he taught his first classes in 1975. From day one, his goal was to develop the students & artists while raising their consciousness towards a healthy approach to living authentic lives via an organic development as artists connected to the society at large. While being a guest with leading ballet companies worldwide (Berlin, Frankfurt, Washington, Toronto, London, Paris, Madrid, Munich, Buenos Aires, Santiago (Chile), La Havana, the Joffrey, ABT & Ballet Rep, NCDT& NCSA, National Ballet Canada, AterBalletto, the Harkness Dance Theatre & School, San Francisco Ballet School, the Rambert Co & school (London, UK), Chamber Ballet USA, PBT, Oakland Ballet (Ballet Master in Chief), Alvin Ailey (School); Universities of Miami, California (L.A., Cal, Fullerton, Anaheim, Berkeley), Milwaukee, N/S Carolina; Victoria Ballet Theatre (Texas), Royal Ballet of Flanders & Wallonia), Luc lead daily large groups but he also privately taught and coached many stars such as Natalia Makarova, Fernando Bujones, Susan Jaffe, Jisé Carreno, Yoko Morishita, Alexander Goudonov, Clark Tippett, Amanda Mc Kerrow, Vanessa Harwood, David Nixon, Magali Messac & leading artists from the Paris Opera, ABT, NYCB, SFB, ENB, Rambert, Boston, NCDT, such as C. Arbo, E. Terabust, Damian Woetzel, A. Arguelles, Ana Lobe, J. Arozarena, Maria Teresa Del Real, P. Savoye, Carla Stallings, Lorena Feijoo, & master teachers Mabel Robinson, Melissa Hayden, Hilary Cartwright, Hector Zaraspé, etc. He collaborated with legendary musicians such a Martha Argerich, Mischa Maisky, Severin Von Eckardstein, Emmy Awarded composer Matthew Kajcienski, opera stars such as Marina Poplavskaya, Christiane Eda-Pierre, actors Jude Law, Alan Bates, Greta Scacchi, Leslie Browne, etc.
The co-founder/director of NYC/Connecticut based youth company “Ballet Today” his record includes over 400 choreographies while sharing awards with his dancers (incl. IBC. Gold medal in Paris, Lausanne, Silver & Bronze in Moscow & Jackson, the 1985 Russian Press Price, the 1st Robert Joffrey Award, the City of Paris Grand Prix, etc.). For six years, he coordinated the Riverside Dance Festival (NYC), the US’s oldest dance festival.
With a profound stylistic knowledge of a wide repertoire, he rehearsed/coached works by leading choreographers M. Petipa, G. Balanchine, W. Forsyth, G. Tetley, L. Childs, A. Bournonville, R. Petit. With vivid support of many colleagues and friends such as ballet legends Irina Kolpakova and Vladilen Semenov highlighting the DDF (Dance Development Fund, Natalia Makarova, Hon. President), in Belgium, Italy, Spain and the USA, & Ballettoday, Luc founded to promote dance in his country and abroad. An international juror he was invited at IBC competitions in Seoul (S-Korea), Liege, Valencia & Barcelona. His acclaimed Injury Prevention (MBAC) program and health-oriented approach earned him to be invited in both classical and contemporary dance companies, by official schools and Universities in Europe and the USA, concentrating on the human and artistic development of each participant.
A published author Spiralling Reality, (2007), “The Medici Memento” (a Time-Travel Thriller) & Arts journalist, Luc is fluent in seven languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Flemish & Dutch. For fundraising matters, he has also appeared in publicity & modelling functions, and as an MC. Luc is a real team person, used to work with large groups. Today his goal has not changed: to promote a sincere developing sense of one’s ‘authentic self’, through the performing arts, offering a better education & an alternative artistic development to protect and inspire the new generations.
luclouis@gmail.com Facebook: Luc Louis de Lairesse
“Dance for your Life” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSz3JfCxYys&t=22s)
Books
Spiralling Reality: https://www.amazon.com/Spiralling-Reality-Unintended-Speed-Choreographed/dp/9066612673/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=spiralling+reality&qid=1632429854&sr=8-1
The Medici memento
