LAURIE VAN WIEREN

CHOREOGRAPHER / PERFORMER / PRODUCER

Choreographer/Performer Laurie Van Wieren has been curator and producer of the work of contemporary dance artists in the Twin Cities since 2003. Currently Laurie is:

Curator and producing director of 9x22 Dance/Lab an ongoing series where seasoned and new choreographers can present their work and discuss it with an informed, interested audience.
At the Bryant Lake Bowl Cabaret in Minneapolis on the 4rth Wednesday of the month.
http://www.bryantlakebowl.com/calendar/shows/9x22-dancelab-23

Co- producer with Patrick's Cabaret of the Twin Cities Scuba National Touring Network for Dance
April 20, 21, 22, 2012.
SCUBA National Touring Network for Dance is a co-operative enterprise founded by Velocity Dance Center, in conjunction with ODC Theater in San Francisco, The Southern Theater in Minneapolis, and Philadelphia Dance Projects. From the beginning, SCUBA has met the ambitious goal of touring regionally established, nationally emerging artists to and from the participating cities. SCUBA strives to present these artists/tours through co-operative presenting and grassroots mobilization without sacrificing the highest standard of professionalism.
www.scubadance

Curator of the July, 2012, Twin Cities installment of Dances Made to Order. Brain child of LA dance/film artist Kingsley Irons, Dances Made to Order is a curated, monthly, online film series that features 3 dance artists who each create a five-minute film in two weeks while responding to ideas chosen by the online audience. Each month a different city will be spotlighted. The names of the three Twin Cities, Dances Made to Order artists will be announced at the end of January. Stay tuned and subscribe.
www.dancesmadetoorder.com

ARTIST'S STATEMENT

Bio: Laurie Van Wieren is an independent choreographer, based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. She has been creating dance and performance since 1980. She grew up on the west side of Chicago, and attended the Art Institute of Chicago where she studied performance art and film history. Laurie has studied ballet with Gary Roberts and contemporary dance with Nancy Hauser. Laurie was very much influenced by the workshops and performances of a number of post modern choreographers-David Gordon, Meredith Monk, Dana Reitz, Ruth Zapora, Eiko and Koma and Deborah Hay

Laurie formed her own company in 1985. As a solo performer and with her company the B-Specifics, she has performed in many venues, including: the Walker Art Center, The Southern Theater, Dancespace, DTW, Links Hall, Lake of the Isles skating rink and the Fabrik in Potsdam, Germany. Her dance work has also been seen at the Art of Movement Festival, in Yaroslavl, Russia Aug 2006. She is the recipient of fellowships from the McKnight, Jerome, Bush and Rockefeller Foundations. Active in the Minneapolis/St Paul arts community for the past 20+ years, Van Wieren has collaborated with many video, theater, and music artists.

Van Wieren's recent work includes "Who made these videotapes" a retrospective performance/installation. The first installment was shown and performed December, 2010 at Studio 206 in Minneapolis. The 2nd installment, also at 206 was performed in August 2011. “Who made these videotapes” won a Minnesota SAGE Award for Dance in the category of Out Standing Performance, 2011.

Laurie is now in rehearsal for a new quartet- 1 and 4 SOLOS, researching memory and identity with dance artists- Kristin Van Loon, Joanna Furnans and Sally Rousse.

For more information: laurievanwieren@gmail.com

AWARDS

2011 Minnesota SAGE Award for Dance Outstanding Performance
2008 Minnesota SAGE Awards for Dance, Special Citation Recipient
2008 McKnight Foundation Choreography Fellow
2004 Southern Theater Best Feet Forward Peer Fellow
1998 Minnesota Dance Alliance / McKnight Foundation Choreography Fellow
1993 Diverse Visions / Intermedia Arts
1991 Jerome Foundation, Project Grant
1991 Minnesota Dance Alliance / McKnight Foundation Choreography Fellow
1990 Minnesota Dance Alliance / Sponsor Pool, Dancespace Project at St Marks, NYC
1988 Minnesota Dance Alliance / McKnight Foundation Choreography Fellow
1987 NEA / Rockefeller Foundation Inter-Arts Grant
1986 Minnesota Dance Alliance / McKnight Foundation Choreography Fellow
1985 Bush Foundation Choreography Fellow
1984 Jerome Foundation, Solo Video Project with James Byrne
1984 UCV / Northwest Area Foundation Translations Grant
1984 Minnesota Dance Alliance / McKnight Foundation Choreography Fellow