BIOGRAPHY
Édouard Lock began his choreographic career at the age of 20 and formed La La La Human Steps in 1980. He would soon receive numerous commissions from such companies as the Paris Opera Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, Dutch National Ballet and Ballet Cullberg.
In 1990 he collaborated with David Bowie as art director of his Sound and Vision world tour, and two years later worked with Frank Zappa on The Yellow Shark concerts with Germany’s Ensemble Modern. He also collaborated with Iggy Pop, Einstürzende Neubauten, Steve Albini (Shellac of North America), Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine), David Van Tieghem, West India Company, David Lang and Gavin Bryars. At the invitation of the Opéra national de Paris, Édouard Lock created the choreography for Jean-Philippe Rameau’s opera Les Boréades, performed by La La La Human Steps at the Palais Garnier.
Several of his works have been filmed, including Bernar Hébert’s La La La Human Sex duo no. 1 and Velasquez’s Little Museum (1994), an adaptation of eight pieces from Infante. In 1997, Édouard Lock was invited to take part in British director Michael Apted’s documentary Inspirations, alongside such artists as Roy Lichtenstein, Tadao Ando and David Bowie.
The film adaptation of Amelia (2004), directed by Lock himself, received its American premiere at the Tribeca Film in New York and European premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. It won prizes at such festivals as the Chicago International Film Festival, the Prague International Film Festival and Festival de la Rose d’or in Switzerland. Amelia also received two Gemini Awards for Best Performing Arts Direction and Editing, as well as two ICE (Individual Creative Excellence) awards for Best Photography and Best Editing from the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington, D.C.
Édouard Lock’s many awards and distinctions include the National Arts Centre Award (2001), Prix Denise-Pelletier (2002), Prix Benois de la Danse (Moscow, 2003), Governor General’s Performing Arts Award (2010), Molson Prize (2010) awarded by the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Prix Premio Positano Leonide Massine per la Danza. He also received an honorary doctorate from the Université du Québec à Montréal in 2010. Édouard Lock is a Knight of the National Order of Quebec, and an Officer of the Order of Canada.