:: the company  :: calendar  :: education  :: press & presenters  :: repertory  :: news & current events  :: photos / video / audio  :: newsletter/mailing list  :: support us  :: administration  :: contact us

the company: pascal rioult pascal rioult  :: joyce herring  :: the dancers PASCAL RIOULT (Artistic Director / Choreographer) was born in Normandy, France and earned a Masters Degree in Science Education from the University of Paris. More than two decades ago, he came to the United States on a fellowship from the French Ministry of Culture to study modern dance. After coming to New York, Rioult performed with the companies of May O'Donnell and Paul Sanasardo before joining the Martha Graham Dance Company in 1986. As a principal dancer, he interpreted many of the most prestigious roles in the Graham repertory and in 1990 Ms. Graham created the central role (Death Figure) in her ballet The Eye of the Goddess for Mr. Rioult. He performed opposite Mikhail Baryshnikov and Joyce Herring in El Penitente and was featured in two television specials: Martha Graham in Japan and Five Dances by Martha Graham at the Paris Opera. Mr. Rioult began choreographing in 1989 while still a member of the Graham troupe and produced his first concerts at the Theatre of the Riverside Church in 1991 and 1992. His pieces Narayama and Harvest were danced by the Graham Company during its New York City seasons at City Center. Since 1994 Mr. Rioult has dedicated his energies to building and perfecting a choreographic style of his own, a robust ensemble of dancers and Pascal Rioult Dance Theatre. Mr. Rioult's work has been performed and commissioned by numerous modern dance and ballet companies in the United States and in Europe. He is the recipient of a 1998 and 2002 Choo-San Goh Award for Choreography and he has been awarded grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts, the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, The Paul Lepercq Foundation, The Florence Gould Foundation, The Grand Marnier Foundation, The Greenwall Foundation, The Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust and The Harkness Foundation for Dance.