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| Lucy Guerin | |
|---|---|
| Name | Lucy Guerin |
| Birth date | 1961 |
| Birth place | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
| Occupation | Choreographer, dancer, artistic director |
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Notable works | Hard Nut, Noise, Structure and Sadness |
| Awards | Helpmann Awards, Bessie Award |
Lucy Guerin is an Australian choreographer and dancer renowned for her innovative contemporary dance works and for founding a company that has shaped the Australian and international contemporary dance scenes. Her practice bridges performance, installation, and collaboration with composers and visual artists, earning recognition across festivals, theatres, and institutions in Australia, Europe, and North America. Guerin's work engages with movement research, theatrical frameworks, and interdisciplinary partnerships linking leading companies and cultural organizations.
Born in Sydney, New South Wales, Guerin trained in classical and contemporary dance in Australian institutions before relocating for further study. She studied at the Adelaide-based dance programs and later joined national companies, developing technique connected to the curricula of the Australian Ballet School and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. Her formative years included collaborations with choreographers associated with the National Theatre, dance festivals in Sydney and Melbourne, and exchanges with European conservatoires such as the London Contemporary Dance School and CNDC.
Guerin's professional trajectory includes performing with major companies and founding a company that became central to contemporary dance in Australia and internationally. Early performance credits involved companies associated with the Australian Dance Theatre, Chunky Move, and Melbourne-based ensembles, leading to guest stints with European troupes in Paris and Amsterdam and commissions from institutions like the Sydney Opera House, Adelaide Festival, and Dance Umbrella. She established a company that toured to festivals such as the Edinburgh Festival, Venice Biennale, and Montpellier Danse, collaborating with cultural organizations including Arts Council England, Australia Council for the Arts, and the British Council. Her career encompasses choreography for theatre companies, commissions for opera houses and museums, and residency periods at research centres like the Australia Council’s studio spaces and university performance departments.
Guerin's choreographic voice synthesizes minimalist and postmodern lineages with theatrical composition and visual art practices. Her works show intellectual affinities with choreographers and artists associated with Merce Cunningham, Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, and Trisha Brown, as well as conceptual artists linked to the Tate, Centre Pompidou, and MoMA. She often works with composers and sound designers who have connections to ensembles like the London Sinfonietta and IRCAM, and with designers from institutions such as the Royal Opera House and the National Gallery. Her methodology reflects research-led processes akin to those taught at the Juilliard School, New York University Tisch School, and the University of California, while engaging curators and dramaturgs from the Serpentine, Barbican, and Festival d’Avignon.
Guerin’s catalogue includes works commissioned and produced for international festivals, contemporary venues, and dance companies. Notable productions have appeared alongside programmes at the Sydney Festival, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Adelaide Festival, Edinburgh International Festival, and Spoleto Festival, and have been presented at institutions such as the Royal Opera House, BAM, and the Berliner Festspiele. Her repertoire features collaborations with composers and designers associated with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Ensemble Modern, and Opera Australia, and has been published or archived in collections linked to the National Library of Australia, Australian Performing Arts Collection, and State Library of Victoria.
Her artistic achievements have been acknowledged by awards and honours from national and international bodies. She has received recognition comparable to recipients of the Helpmann Awards, Bessie Awards, and Australian Dance Awards, and support from funding agencies such as the Australia Council for the Arts, Arts NSW, and Creative Victoria. Her work has been reviewed and profiled in outlets associated with the Sydney Morning Herald, The Guardian, The New York Times, and Le Monde, and invited to jury panels for festivals like Sadler’s Wells programmes and international choreography competitions.
Guerin has contributed to dance education through teaching, residencies, and mentorships at conservatoires, universities, and festivals. She has taught at institutions with links to the Victorian College of the Arts, the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts, the University of Melbourne, and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and delivered workshops at centres including the New Zealand School of Dance, the Nederlands Dans Theater training programmes, and the Centre national de la danse. Her mentorship activities have engaged emerging choreographers supported by organisations such as Dance Australia, the Australia Council, and the British Council.
Guerin's legacy is evident in the influence her company and choreographic approach have had on contemporary dance practice, pedagogy, and festival programming across Australia and internationally. Her work continues to inform curators, critics, and educators connected to major cultural institutions including the Australia Council, Creative Scotland, Arts Council England, and national galleries. She is linked through collaborations and alumni networks to dancers and choreographers who have gone on to lead companies and academic departments at institutions like the National Institute of Dramatic Art, Victorian College of the Arts, and tertiary programmes in Europe and North America.
Category:Australian choreographers Category:Contemporary dancers Category:Living people