Jean-Marc Puissant

Last updated
Jean-Marc Puissant
Born
Jean-Marc Guy Maxime Puissant

(1969-09-26) 26 September 1969 (age 54)
Grenoble, France
Education
Awards
Website www.jeanmarcpuissant.com

Jean-Marc Puissant (born 26 September 1969) is a stage and costume designer. [1] curator [2] and consultant [3] [4] for live arts and exhibitions. Based in London, Puissant collaborates with international brands, directors, choreographers and curators in the UK, USA, Europe, Australia and Japan.

Contents

Early life and education

Puissant grew up in the village of Le Bourg-d'Oisans, in the French Alps.

He moved to Grenoble, age 12, to study at Lycée Stendhal and Conservatoire de Grenoble and to Paris, age 15, to study at Lycée Racine, Conservatoire de Paris and Paris Opera Ballet School.

Puissant studied Art History at La Sorbonne, Paris, and design at Motley Theatre Design Course, London. [5]

Puissant guest tutored costume design at NYU's New York University Tisch School of the Arts and scenography and costume design London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.

Career

Puissant's career began as a professional dancer. He joined Birmingham Royal Ballet in September 1990, under the direction of Sir Peter Wright, and Stuttgart Ballet in February 1995, under the direction of Marcia Haydée. He danced and created roles classical and contemporary repertoires.

In 2002, Puissant's breakthrough came with Tryst, a ballet choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon's at The Royal Ballet.[ citation needed ] Wheeldon and Puissant have collaborated on 13 productions, [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] with Wheeldon's saying of their collaboration that “He’s so willing to dare (..) He doesn’t ever go for the obvious, and he often pushes me to work that way with him. It’s not always obvious to the audience what’s going into his work, and I enjoy that a lot." [12]

In 2007, Monica Mason commissioned Puissant new stage design for the Royal Opera House's first production of George Balanchine's Jewels . [13] The production won two 2008 Laurence Olivier Awards, including Best New Dance Production. [14] Judith Mackrell writes in The Guardian "The triumph of this new production is to transfer a sense of ownership to the Royal Ballet. Courtesy of designers Jean-Marc Puissant and Jennifer Tipton, the three plotless ballets that make up Jewels have been given an added theatrical resonance, which suits this company’s performing temperament". [15]

Puissant also collaborated with choreographers Karole Armitage, [16] Maina Gielgud, Marcia Haydée, Shobana Jeyasingh, [17] [18] Annie-B Parson, Arlene Phillips, [19] Lee Blakeley, [20] Arthur Pita and Alexander Whitley [21] [22] [23] amongst others. In 2010, Puissant designed the stage design for David McVicar's Verdi's Aida at The Royal Opera. [24]

In August 2019, Puissant curated a critically acclaimed program for New York’s Joyce Theater’s Festival. [2]

Recognition

Boards

2008–2020: Trustee - Dance Umbrella

2021 to present: Trustee - Dancers’ Career Development [33]

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References

  1. ↑ "Jean-Marc Puissant". Oxford Reference.
  2. 1 2 Kourlas, Gia (August 18, 2019). "At the Joyce, a Feast of Dancers at a Sometimes Meager Table". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ Mackrell, Judith (January 16, 2018). "The kings and queens of couture – and their most dazzling dance creations". The Guardian.
  4. ↑ "veStiges". Furinkaï.
  5. ↑ "Motley Alumni". Motley Alumni.
  6. ↑ Mackrell, Judith (November 20, 2006). "Royal Ballet triple bill". The Guardian.
  7. ↑ Macaulay, Alastair (March 21, 2008). "New to the Glossary: A Pas de Multimedia". The New York Times.
  8. ↑ Craine, Debra (May 28, 2023). "Wheeldon's way". The Times.
  9. ↑ "Les Carillons | New York City Ballet". www.nycballet.com.
  10. ↑ MacAulay, Alastair (24 February 2013). "Wheeldon, Ratmansky and Balanchine at the Royal Ballet. - The New York Times". The New York Times.
  11. ↑ Craine, Debra (28 May 2023). "Dance review: Bernstein Centenary at Covent Garden". The Times.
  12. 1 2 Chien, Jane Ann (March 24, 2019). "About Christopher Wheeldon's Bound To".
  13. ↑ Mackrell, Judith (November 21, 2007). "Lord of the bling". The Guardian.
  14. 1 2 "Olivier Winners 2008". Olivier Awards.
  15. ↑ Mackrell, Judith (November 26, 2007). "Jewels". The Guardian.
  16. ↑ Mackrell, Judith (May 24, 2007). "Rambert Dance Company". The Guardian.
  17. ↑ Mackrell, Judith (November 19, 2014). "Rambert: Triptych review – a trio with brio". The Guardian.
  18. ↑ "Triptych, Rambert, Sadler's Wells". theartsdesk.com. November 19, 2014.
  19. ↑ Mackrell, Judith (July 10, 2015). "Whelan/Watson: Other Stories review – thrillingly erotic interplay". The Guardian.
  20. ↑ "A Night at the Chinese Opera, Theatre Royal, Glasgow". HeraldScotland. 14 April 2008.
  21. ↑ "Beheld". Alexander Whitley.
  22. ↑ "TGITO". Alexander Whitley.
  23. ↑ "Kin". Alexander Whitley.
  24. ↑ "Verdi, Aida, Royal Opera House". The Independent. March 12, 2011.
  25. ↑ "Benois de la danse: Jean-Marc Puissant". old.benois.theatre.ru.
  26. ↑ "Olivier Winners 2013". Olivier Awards.
  27. ↑ "Olivier Winners 2007". Olivier Awards.
  28. ↑ "Olivier Winners 2003". Olivier Awards.
  29. ↑ "The 14th National Dance Awards". The Critics' Circle. March 3, 2014.
  30. ↑ "Royal Ballet collects four Critics' Circle awards". The Stage.
  31. ↑ "South Bank Show Awards 2007 | WestendTheatre.com". www.westendtheatre.com. January 1, 2009.
  32. ↑ "TMA Announces 2008 Regional Theatre Nominees | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. 30 September 2008.
  33. ↑ "Board of Trustees".
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