In
1997, after graduating from the University of South Carolina and then
the Yale School of Drama, I moved to New York. In the following few
years, I assisted my mentor Jennifer Tipton while pursuing my interests
in theater. 1998 I began touring with White Oak Dance Project, first as
a lighting supervisor and later as a designer. During that time, I had
the opportunity to design world premieres by choreographers such as
Mark Morris, Trisha Brown, Yvonne Rainer, Steve Paxton, Simone Forti,
Lucinda Childs, and Richard Move, most featuring Mikhail Baryshnikov,
the company’s artistic director. At the same time, I continued my work
in the theater, working with emerging New York companies and regional
theaters. By 2002 I no longer had time to juggle so many projects, and
I made the difficult decision to stop touring and assisting, so that I
could devote my full attention to creating original work.
Since
then, I have collaborated with a diverse range of directors and
choreographers, spanning the downtown New York theater scene, American
regional theaters, and international ballet companies. My love of light
grows stronger each year, as does my love of travel (although not my
love of most airlines.) I believe in the importance of the cultural
exchange of theater, which feeds my interest in the international
language of dance. I am also interested in blurring the lines of
established performance genres, and in incorporating new visual media,
such as video. My other interests include running (I ran the Amsterdam
marathon in 2006; I plan to run NYC’s in 2008), photography, vegan
cuisine, and the effects of natural light on human emotions. I still
live in New York, which remains my favorite city in the world.
View Les Dickert's web site
View Les Dickert's resume
