David Roussève is an American choreographer, writer, director and filmmaker. He founded his company, David Roussève/REALITY in 1988[1] and has since choreographed, written and directed 14 evening-length works[2] for the group. His latest work for REALITY, Halfway to Dawn[3] premiered in October 2018 at REDCAT in Los Angeles before touring nationally and internationally.[4] His work addresses issues of racism, sexism, and homophobia.[5]
Roussève has commissioned work for a plethora of renowned companies including Ballet Hispanico, Dancing Wheels Company, Houston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theater, Dance Alloy, Ilkhom Theatre Company of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, among others.[6] In 2017, he choreographed “Lost in the Stars” (Kurt Weil) for SITI Company and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.[7] Roussève’s work “Enough?” a 2016 commission for San Francisco’s RAWDance, was performed at LA’s Ford Theater by Lula Washington Dance Theatre in 2018.[8]
Roussève graduated magna cum laude[9] from Princeton in 1981[10] as a Guggenheim Fellow for Creative Arts.[11] Awards he has received include a Bessie[12] seven consecutive National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, three LA Horton awards, the Cal Arts/Alpert Award in Dance, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Association of Black Princeton Alumni, a Creative Capital Fellowship and two Irvine Fellowships in Dance.[7]
In 1996, Roussève joined the faculty of UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, where he is currently Distinguished Professor of Choreography.[7] He has also served as Associate Dean (2014-2015),[13] Acting Dean (2015) and Interim Dean (2015-2017) for the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture.[14]
Personal life
editRoussève was raised in Houston[15] and participated in ACT UP protests while living in New York in the late 1980s and early 1990s.[5] He is married to Steven Rubenstein.[16]
References
edit- ^ "David Roussève | Double Exposure". rawdance-doublex.org. Archived from the original on 2020-02-22. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ "David Roussève/REALITY, West Hollywood, United States". Google Arts & Culture.
- ^ "A Life Lived "Halfway To Dawn": David Roussève Celebrates Jazz Legend Billy Strayhorn". October 4, 2018.
- ^ "Choreographer David Roussève shines a light on Duke Ellington's unsung arranger Billy Strayhorn at a REDCAT premiere". Los Angeles Times. October 3, 2018.
- ^ a b "Is Dance "Enough" to Meaningfully Address Something Like Black Lives Matter?". Dance Magazine. February 1, 2022.
- ^ "Award-winning choreographer David Roussève blends jazz, dance, and design in his newest work". www.vtnews.vt.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-02-22. Retrieved 2020-02-22.
- ^ a b c "David Roussève". www.wacd.ucla.edu.
- ^ "Dance Preview: LULA WASHINGTON DANCE THEATRE (Ford Amphitheatre)". www.stageandcinema.com.
- ^ "The Power of Being Present | Arts NC State". arts.ncsu.edu.
- ^ "Princetonians: Dance Movement". Princeton Alumni Weekly. October 11, 2019.
- ^ "Stardust to Strayhorn: Twenty Years of David Roussève". October 24, 2018.
- ^ "Award Archive".
- ^ "David Roussève new associate dean, UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture". UCLA.
- ^ "David Roussève named interim dean of UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture". UCLA.
- ^ "Caftan Chronicles". thecaftanchronicles.substack.com.
- ^ "David & Steven". theknot.com.