RYAN HEFFINGTON

BY: ADRIANA ROJO AND JOSELYN REYES

I believe everyone is a good dancer, one just needs to say
yes to trying and show self-lovethat is it. -Ryan Heffington

Biography

born in 1973 in Yuba City, California

I always danced around the house. I danced for my

relatives. I danced for the neighborhood kids I would just
invite them over, and sit em down, and put on music and
dance for them. I would go and watch my cousin take dance
class and my parents thought, why not. -Ryan Heffington

started taking dance classes at age 6; was involved in the

competition world

growing up a dancer boy in a small town, he danced and

performed at convalescent hospitals, local fairs, pageants,
and parades

self described dance guru, performance artist,

choreographer, and designer

Biography (cont.)

moved to Los Angeles in 1991 at age 18

co-artistic director of Hysterica Dance Company

founding member of the dance-performance band

WE ARE THE WORLD

owner of The Sweat Spot dance studio in Silverlake

best known for choreographing Sias Chandelier

music video

Why is Ryan
important?
different
because he encourages audience
involvement and explores dances aesthetics and
socio-cultural possibilities

allows the viewer to engage with the performers and

therefore, take part in the art making process

work has been displayed at Dorothy Chandler

Pavillion, the Walt Disney Concert Hall, LACMA, the
Hammer Museum, REDCAT, Highways, and L.A.C.E
Gallery

work has been presented in national art galleries,

fashion show runways, professional dance stages,
and numerous TV shows

Why is Ryan
important? (cont.)

In 2010 Heffington Moves MOCA included dance

classes, performances with interactive projections,
and living sculpture art installations

for the finale, he choreographed Heavy Metal

Parking Lot: The Musical, a dance punk music
performance that included two live bands, 40+
dancers, muscle cars, opera singers, and costumes by
Moon Spoon Saloon

performance broke attendance records for MOCA,

having 2000 people in the audience

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AUjHYpJNCzw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3d9uk_QdlU

Double Grammy
Whammy
nominated for Best Male Performer, Best Small Group
Ensemble, and Best Costume Design with Hysterica Dance
Company by the Horton Awards

Won Outstanding Choreography for Concert/Live

Performance by the World Dance Awards

Sias Chandelier won Best Choreography at the 2014

MTV Video Music Awards

choreographed Muses Uprising performance at the 2011

Grammys

nominated for Grammy Music Video of the Year for

Chandelier and We Exist; may be the first
choreographer to work on two Best Video nominees in one
year

Music Videos

Sia Chandelier and Elastic Heart

Arcade Fire We Exist

Florence + The Machine What Kind of Man

FKA Twigs Google Glass and Video Girl

Aloe Blacc Love is The Answer

The Sweat Spot

began Sweaty Sundays- A Dance Class for Everyone

in 2008; overwhelming success led him to open his
dance studio, The Sweat Spot

classes include: ballet, contemporary, jazz, hip hop,

yoga, and pilates taught by 18 teachers and
choreographers

classes are all levels; it is common to see completely

beginning dancers and professional dancers sweating
side by side

Sweaty Sunday classes every Sunday at noon (12 PM)

location address: 3327 Sunset Blvd Silverlake, CA 90026

Ryan Heffington:

The Sweat Spot:

email: info@thesweatspotla.com
Instagram+Twitter: @thesweatspot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRXc_-c_9Xc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqTDO9MCXM4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J8wkAHfNegU

Learning Check

Where can you find Ryan?

A. IDA Hollywood

B. VAPA

C. The Sweat Spot

D. Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company

.

What is Ryan best known for?

A. Sias Chandelier

B. Heffington Moves MOCA

C. Nominations for two Grammys

above

D. All of the

Learning Check

He is the co-artistic director of _____________.

A. The Sweat Spot

Company

B. Grand Arts Dance

C. WE ARE THE WORLD

Company

D. Hysterica Dance

What performance broke attendance records by having

2000 people in the audience?

A. Heavy Metal Parking Lot: The Musical B. Arcade Fire-We

Exist
C. Heffington Moves MOCA

D. In The Heights

Personal
Statements
Adriana: Ryan Heffington is not only a very
successful choreographer, but an amazing person as
well.I really love his work because it shows the
deeper side to movement and really emphasizes the
portrayal of a character.

Joselyn: I think that Ryan Heffington is a great

choreographer. His pieces are always very
interesting and I never got bored watching a dance
that hes choreographed. I like how hes not only a
choreographer, but also a costume designer. Now
that I know that he teaches classes near me, I want
to attend one of his Sweaty Sunday classes.

References/Credit

http://www.sirheffington.com/press.html

http://www.thesweatspotla.com/aboutus.html

http://www.theguardian.com/stage/2014/aug/29/ryan-heffington-siachandelier-choreographer

https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/classic/home?studioid=11570

http://cargocollective.com/HEFFINGTON/ABOUT-HEFFINGTON

http://bullettmedia.com/article/meet-sia-arcade-fires-choreographer/

https://www.yahoo.com/music/double-grammy-whammy-meet-ryanheffington-the-110098813721.html

Adriana: finishing touches to presentation, researched websites and

articles, figured out presentation structure, and found significant videos
and pictures.

Joselyn: put presentation together, researched social media links and

interviews, structured multiple choice questions, and found significant
videos and pictures.