David Roussève

David Roussève is an American choreographer, writer, director and filmmaker. He founded his company, David Roussève/REALITY in 1988[1] and has since choreographed, written and directed 14 evening-length works[2] for the group. His latest work for REALITY, Halfway to Dawn[3] premiered in October 2018 at REDCAT in Los Angeles before touring nationally and internationally.[4] His work addresses issues of racism, sexism, and homophobia.[5]

Roussève has commissioned work for a plethora of renowned companies including Ballet Hispanico, Dancing Wheels Company, Houston Ballet, Atlanta Ballet, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theater, Dance Alloy, Ilkhom Theatre Company of Tashkent, Uzbekistan, among others.[6] In 2017, he choreographed “Lost in the Stars” (Kurt Weil) for SITI Company and Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.[7] Roussève’s work “Enough?” a 2016 commission for San Francisco’s RAWDance, was performed at LA’s Ford Theater by Lula Washington Dance Theater in 2018.[8]

Roussève graduated magna cum laude[9] from Princeton in 1981[10] as a Guggenheim Fellow for Creative Arts.[11] Awards he has received include a Bessie[12] seven consecutive National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, three LA Horton awards, the Cal Arts/Alpert Award in Dance, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the Association of Black Princeton Alumni, a Creative Capital Fellowship and two Irvine Fellowships in Dance.[7]

In 1996, Roussève joined the faculty of UCLA’s Department of World Arts and Cultures/Dance, where he is currently Distinguished Professor of Choreography.[7] He has also served as Associate Dean (2014-2015),[13] Acting Dean (2015) and Interim Dean (2015-2017) for the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture.[14]