Ryan Heffington
"Occasionally someone rattles the arts industry cage so hard that they demand a rethink of what constitutes good, satisfying and important practice. In contemporary dance that player is Ryan Heffington" - Hold & Corner Magazine
In March 2020, Ryan Heffington became a north star of empowerment and self-expression for hundreds of thousands of people through his free, online dance class SWEATFEST. Together with his community they raised over 300k for charities that supported Black Lives Matter, LGBTQI+ and other organizations. Heffington’s 2022 TED TALK angles on accessing happiness through movement - another vehicle to get the world to dance, which has been a goal of Ryan’s since his mid 20’s. The pandemic also brought closure to his dance studio The Sweat Spot (Los Angeles) which offered an array of dance styles for the novice to the professional dancer. The Sweat Spot created a community through yearly recitals, benefit concerts, workshops, screenings and dance parties alike. After a 10 year run, The Sweat Spot remains an example of the world's desire to commune and dance.
Heffington is also a two time Grammy nominated, and Emmy winning, choreographer and director. Pioneering contemporary dance in a commercial context, Heffington’s global exposure came in 2014 for Sia’s “Chandelier” (winner MTV’s Best Choreography of the Year Award). Since, other notable works include HBO’S Euphoria (Emmy nominated for Best Choreography), Spike Jonze’s commercials for Kenzo World (winner Cannes Grand Prix) and Apple’s “Welcome Homepod” featuring FKA Twigs (winner Cannes highest award the Titanium Lion), Lin-Manuel Miranda’s directorial film debut Tick, Tick…Boom!, Edgar Wright’s critically-acclaimed film Baby Driver, Netflix’s groundbreaking television series The OA and 100 years of Chanel’s N°5 commercial directed by Johan Renck with Marion Cotillard.
Additional collaborators include directors Vincent Haycock, Autumn De Wilde, Hiro Murai, Christopher Guest, Martin De Thurah, Jean-Paul Goude, Judd Apatow, Alma Har’el, Roman Coppola, Khalil Joseph and Paul Thomas Anderson where Heffington plays Steve opposite Bradley Cooper in his recent film Licorice Pizza. Ryan is known for extracting magic out of non-dancers and actors alike. It’s through his experience of teaching novice dancers for a decade that sharpened this skill. Actors: Kristin Wiig, Elijah Wood, Zendaya, Kate Hudson, Emma Stone, Andrew Garfield, Judith Light, Ewan McGregor, Juliette Lewis, Alison Brie, Brit Marling and Phyllis Smith are a few Ryan has coached.
Heffington’s directorial work infuses choreography with his keen eye for design and expression. Free People, Paul McCarney, SK-II, Grey Goose and Fleet Foxes are a few entities to enlist Ryan’s expertise.
Heffington happily resides in the high desert a few hours outside Los Angeles where he throws “TITS + PALMS” - a monthly dance party for queers and their allies. He’s in the early stages of developing a residency for multi-disciplinary creatives, continuing to build community as he did in Los Angeles for nearly 30 years.
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