Search results for: ryan heffington

Ryan Heffington On Making Moves With Lin-Manuel Miranda and Andrew Garfield for tick, tick…BOOM!

First performed in 1990 by Jonathan Larson as a mostly autobiographical solo show, tick, tick… BOOM! didn’t become a full-fledged musical until 2001, five years after Larson’s untimely death the day before his RENT opened off-Broadway. In his feature-film directorial debut, Lin-Manuel Miranda helms a new adaptation of BOOM! from a screenplay by Steven Levenson, the Tony Award–winning writer of Dear Evan […]

Why Ryan Heffington's Sweat Spot Joined the List of L.A. Studios Shuttering Their Brick-and-Mortar Locations

For more than 10 years, the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles has been home to Ryan Heffington‘s The Sweat Spot. Built on Heffington’s joy-inducing, ecstatic energy, his studio became a haven for dance professionals and neophytes alike. But despite The Sweat Spot’s glowing reputation and Heffington’s celebrity status, the studio was left in dire […]

Ryan Heffington: Hollywood's Delightfully Absurd Dancemaker

On paper, the finale of last year’s Netflix series “The OA” looks absurd: Choreography as a pivotal plot device for a cerebral sci-fi show? Please. “It could be truly amazing, or the worst part of the series,” admits Ryan Heffington, the man behind the moves, which were introduced over eight surreal episodes. But the climax […]

We're Dying to See What This New Ryan Heffington/Spike Jonze Collab Will Look Like

Whether he’s choreographing bizarre music videos for Sia, an immersive dance show on the High Line or soundtrack-synchronized moves for the summer blockbuster Baby Driver, Ryan Heffington‘s dances keep popping up in unexpected places. His latest project? Choreographing a “dance story” for Opening Ceremony during New York Fashion Week. If you’re wondering what a “dance […]

The Most Influential People in Dance Today: Ryan Heffington

Patron saint of queer quirk and founder of Los Angeles studio The Sweat Spot, Ryan Heffington first made headlines three years ago as the choreographer of “Chandelier,” a music video for Sia starring Maddie Ziegler with a combined view count of more than 1.5 billion. Last year, Heffington both broadened his range and reinforced his […]

Spike Jonze + Ryan Heffington + Former Ballet Dancer = Absolute Magic

I always thought perfume ads were pointless. Visions of women dripping in diamonds or riding horseback with a muscular hunk may give an air of sophistication, romance, luxury, but that doesn’t tell me what a perfume smells like. However, there is always room for an exception: The new commercial for KENZO World is a fragrance […]

Ryan Heffington Choreographs Another Viral Sia Music Video

Sia, “Dance Moms” star Maddie Ziegler and choreographer Ryan Heffington have taken over the internet again. The singer/songwriter’s new music video, “Elastic Heart,” is a sort of unofficial sequel to her “Chandelier,” which had Ziegler dancing wildly in a leotard in an empty, dirty house. “Elastic Heart” though, throws actor Shia LaBeouf into the mix. […]