Hélène Lesterlin

Former Curator, Theater + Dance

During her tenure at EMPAC, Lesterlin shepherded and presented challenging work that blurred the lines among dance, theater, performance, and installation.

Highlights from her time at EMPAC include residencies and commissions by Ralph Lemon, Poor Dog Group, Phantom Limb, Nora Chipaumire, Wally Cardona, Kota Yamazaki, and BalletLab; theatrical and site-specific performances by kondition pluriel, Tere O’Connor Dance, Verdensteatret, Wayne McGregor | Random Dance, Yanira Castro, and Chunky Move; the launch of the Filament Festival in collaboration with the music and visual arts curators; and the creation of the DANCE MOViES commission, the only program of its kind in the US, which has commissioned 20 works of film, video, and installation over the past five years.

Lesterlin’s curatorial vision balanced the support and championing of risk-taking artists as they manifested new works and a strong desire to connect EMPAC’s local audiences with contemporary dance and theater.

Events and Residencies

2013

April 6, 2013 at 7:30 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Commission
Cayetana Vidal
April 6, 2013 at 7:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Installation
Colin Gee
April 5, 2013 at 7:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Installation
Colin Gee
April 5–6, 2013
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Commission
TAO, In the First Place...

2012

November 16–17, 2012
Dance/Theater, Performance, Commission
Ralph Lemon
October 5–6, 2012
Dance/Theater, Performance
Nora Chipaumire
September 18, 2012 at 7:30 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Ella Fiskum Danz
September 4–18, 2012
Residency
Ella Fiskum Danz
August 20–December 16, 2012
Season
May 9, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Talk
Mirror Neurons and Our Capacity for Empathy
April 21, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance, Commission
Wally Cardona & Jennifer Lacey
April 20, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance, Commission
Wally Cardona & Jennifer Lacey
April 12, 2012 at 4:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Talk
Emergent Improvisation
April 11, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Talk
Biomimicry
April 6, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance, Commission
Kota Yamazaki
April 1–May 13, 2012
Talk, Residency
Susan Sgorbati
March 26–April 6, 2012
Commission, Residency
Kota Yamazaki and Fluid hug-hug
March 3, 2012 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Jean-François Peyret
February 4, 2012 at 7:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Rodrigo Pardo + Bárbara Foulkes
January 26–May 13, 2012
Season
January 9–February 4, 2012
Residency
Rodrigo Pardo
January 9, 2012–February 12, 2011
Residency
Barbara Foulkes

2011

December 1, 2011 at 1:30 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance, Work in Progress
November 12, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance, Commission
Poor Dog Group
November 11, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance, Commission
Poor Dog Group
November 5–5, 2011
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Commission
A Circus of One, Fauna, Fanfare for Marching Band, Spring Cleaning
November 5, 2011 at 9:00 am
Dance/Theater, Performance, Workshop
October 23–November 14, 2011
Commission, Residency
Poor Dog Group
October 15, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
October 12–18, 2011
Residency
Shantala Shivalingappa
September 24, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance, Commission
Phantom Limb
September 23, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance, Commission
Phantom Limb
September 12–26, 2011
Commission, Residency
Phantom Limb
September 4, 2011–October 1, 2012
Series
Experiments in Time-Based Text
September 1, 2011 at 6:00 pm
Performance
Kònic thtr
August 29–December 9, 2011
Season
August 8–September 2, 2011
Residency
Kónic Thtr
June 20, 2011–November 18, 2012
Film/Video, Commission, Residency
Ralph Lemon
June 20, 2011–February 17, 2012
Commission, Residency
Nora Chipaumire
May 31–June 13, 2011
Commission, Residency
Wally Cardona and Jennifer Lacey
April 11–July 27, 2011
Music/Sound, Residency
The OpenEnded Group
April 1, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Music/Sound, Performance
March 31, 2011 at 9:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Music/Sound, Performance
March 31, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Music/Sound, Performance
March 7, 2011 at 4:00 pm
Film/Video, Music/Sound, Performance
Phyllis Chen + Rob Dietz
March 4–April 7, 2011
Film/Video, Music/Sound, Residency
Phyllis Chen and Rob Dietz
March 3–April 2, 2011
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Installation
MindBox
February 18, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Verdensteatret
February 17, 2011 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Verdensteatret
January 25–28, 2011
Film/Video, Residency
Marlene Millar and Phillip Szporer
January 18, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Music/Sound, Performance
Suzanne Vega, Duncan Sheik, and Kay Matschullat
January 18–May 12, 2011
Season
January 3–20, 2011
Music/Sound, Residency
Suzanne Vega and Duncan Sheik & Kay Matschullat

2010

November 6, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Latitude 14
November 5, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Latitude 14
October 2, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
BalletLab
October 2, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Yanira Castro
October 2, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Commission
Hoop, Anatomy of Melancholy, Quince Missing, The Closer One Gets, the Less One Sees, MO-SO
October 1–3, 2010
Festival
October 1–3, 2010
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Music/Sound
October 1, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Yanira Castro
October 1, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
BalletLab
September 18, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Wally Cardona and Rahel Vonmoos
September 17, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Wally Cardona and Rahel Vonmoos
September 10–December 4, 2010
Season
August 16–22, 2010
Dance/Theater, Music/Sound, Workshop
June 2–16, 2010
Residency
Yanira Castro & a canary torsi
May 4–17, 2010
Film/Video, Commission, Residency
Marites Carino & Rebecca Halls
March 23–29, 2010
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Residency
Will Rawls and Kyle Wilamowski
February 27, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Wayne McGregor | Random Dance
February 26, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Wayne McGregor | Random Dance
February 26, 2010 at 6:00 pm
Talk
Dr. Philip Barnard, Scott deLahunta, Wayne McGregor
February 24, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Talk
rAndom International
February 17–27, 2010
Dance/Theater, Series
Wayne McGregor
February 17, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Talk
Dr. Philip Barnard
February 12–March 1, 2010
Dance/Theater, Residency
Wayne McGregor | Random Dance
January 29, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Jeremy Wade
January 28, 2010 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Jeremy Wade
January 28–May 28, 2010
Season
January 12–February 1, 2010
Film/Video, Residency
Keiko Courdy and Frederic Sofiyana
January 11–26, 2010
Residency
Jill Sigman

2009

December 5, 2009 at 9:30 am
Dance/Theater, Music/Sound, Talk, Workshop
A review on the use of interactive media in performance
December 5, 2009 at 9:30 am
Dance/Theater, Workshop
Workshop for innovative video technologies in performance and installation
December 4, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Chunky Move
December 4, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Chunky Move
December 4, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Chunky Move
December 3, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Chunky Move
December 2, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Music/Sound, Talk, Workshop
A review on the use of interactive media in performance
November 7, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Commission
Body/Traces, Eyes Nose Mouth, Looking Forward—Man and Woman, Sunscreen Serenede
October 24, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Marc Bamuthi Joseph
October 23, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Marc Bamuthi Joseph
October 19, 2009–June 27, 2010
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Commission, Residency
Nuria Fragoso
October 3, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Film/Video, Commission
KINO-EYE, Veterans, PH Propiedad Horizontal, Nora
September 21, 2009–March 5, 2012
Residency
Jean-François Peyret
September 3–December 10, 2009
Season
April 26, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Basil Twist
April 25, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Basil Twist
April 25, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Basil Twist
April 24, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Basil Twist
March 28, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Tere O'Connor Dance
March 28, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Tere O'Connor Dance
March 27, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Tere O'Connor Dance
March 26, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Tere O'Connor Dance
March 24, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Music/Sound, Talk
February 10, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Film/Video
Directed by Agnès Varda
February 7, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance, Commission
Cathy Weis
February 6, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance, Commission
Cathy Weis
January 27, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Exhibition
Sophie Kahn and Lisa Parra
January 22, 2009 at 7:00 pm
Talk
Self and Subjectivity: A Middle Way Approach
January 19–February 7, 2009
Dance/Theater, Performance, Residency
Cathy Weis
January 16–May 30, 2009
Season
January 5–28, 2009
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Commission, Residency
Sophie Kahn & Lisa Parra

2008

December 16, 2008 at 7:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Balletlab
December 11, 2008–May 13, 2010
Film/Video, Series
November 23–December 19, 2008
Dance/Theater, Residency
Balletlab
November 23, 2008 at 8:00 am
Dance/Theater, Performance
Elevator Repair Service
November 22, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Elevator Repair Service
October 3–19, 2008
Festival
October 2008
September 1–December 15, 2008
Season
April 15, 2008 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Liz Aggiss
April 15–19, 2008
Installation
April 15–19, 2008
Dance/Theater, Installation
Billy Cowie
April 15–19, 2008
Film/Video, Installation, Exhibition
Liz Aggiss and Billy Cowie
January 23–May 1, 2008
Season

2007

October 5, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Performance
Kassys
October 4, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Performance
Kassys
September 22, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
BalletLab
September 21, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
BalletLab
September 20, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
BalletLab
March 28–31, 2007
Film/Video, Music/Sound, Installation
Robert Darroll + Sean Reed
March 15, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Film/Video
February 10, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Tere O'Connor Dance
February 9, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Performance
Tere O'Connor Dance
January 25, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video

2006

November 1, 2006 at 7:30 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Talk
November 1, 2006 at 2:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video, Talk
October 12–15, 2006
Dance/Theater, Performance
kondition pluriel
September 14, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video
April 20, 2006 at 7:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video
Street Wise
March 23, 2006 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video
Ice Breaker

2005

October 26, 2005 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video
September 21, 2005 at 8:00 pm
Dance/Theater, Film/Video
September 8, 2005 at 6:30 pm
Performance, Commission
On Site + Sound

2004

January 1, 2004–December 31, 2007
Season
The years before the building