Jacques Heim

Jacques Heim has been a transformative Director for over 20 years, founding DIAVOLO in 1992, and has directed the Company's work ever since. Mr. Heim was born and raised in Paris, France. His earliest experiences with performance came from street performing. He attended Middlebury College (B.F.A. in Theater, Dance, and Film), the University of Surrey in England (Certificate for Analysis and Criticism of Dance), and the California Institute for the Arts (M.F.A., Choreography). Heim is not a dancer or acrobat but calls himself an "architect of motion". He is like a drill sergeant or a football coach. He loves working with dancers; pushing them beyond their own physical and emotional limits to make them feel like they can conquer anything...to make them realize they are heroes. Jacques Heim is named directly after his grandfather, the late and revolutionary fashion designer, who in 1946 launched the first ever two piece bathing suit called "Atome", later renamed The Bikini, and also invented "le pret a porter", or Ready to Wear. Just as his grandfather broke ground in the fashion industry, Jacques Heim continues to challenge and break the mold of conventional wisdom surrounding dance, developing the unique and incomparable aesthetic of Architecture in Motion®. In addition to his work with DIAVOLO, Mr. Heim has worked extensively for other companies in dance, theater, TV, and special events worldwide. Jacques created five new performances based on DIAVOLO creations for NBC's America's Got Talent 2017. DIAVOLO appeared as one of the top ten contestants in AGT's finale at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. He also recently directed DIAVOLO for a special appearance on Le Plus Grand Cabaret du Monde's New Year's Eve 2017, one of the most watched TV shows in France and Francophone countries. DIAVOLO also appeared on Helene Fischer's 2017 Christmas Spectacular. In 2004, Mr. Heim choreographed KÀ for Cirque du Soleil at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas; a destination show featuring apparatus inspired by DIAVOLO structures and architecture. In 2010, he was invited to be a Creative Director for the Opening Ceremony of The 16th Asian Games, in Guangzhou, China. Mr. Heim worked with Guy Caron and Michael Curry as consulting choreographer on Ice Age Live!, a "mammoth" arena show which had its world premiere at London's Wembley Stadium in November 2012 and is now touring Europe. In addition to three USA Fellowship nominations and four Alpert Award nominations, Mr. Heim has received the Martha Hill Choreography Award of the American Dance Festival, the Special Prize of the Jury at the 6th Saitama International Dance Festival, a Brody Arts Fund fellowship, a James Irvine Foundation Fellowship and is the 2016 Barney Creative Prize recipient.