"The audience is the final element that gives life to a dance."
Andrew Skeels
Andrew Skeels is a Montreal-based choreographer. He has created work for the Ballet of the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Nederlands Dans Theater 2, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, Cirque du Soleil, TanzTheater International Festival Hannover, Théâtre de Suresnes Jean-Villar, Kansas City Ballet, Festival Quartiers Danses Montréal, Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur, WestWave Dance Festival San Francisco, Colorado Ballet, and Festival Ballet Providence.
Skeels grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and received his dance training at the Boston Ballet School under the mentorship of Carol Roderick and Anne Tolbert. He danced with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, where he performed in the works of Jirí Kyliàn, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, Marco Goecke, Stijn Celis, Didy Veldman, and Stephan Toss.
His choreographic language reflects his ever-expanding curiosity and love for the art of dance. He draws influence from his training as a film editor and applies a cinematic approach to his choreography. He challenges dancers, asking that they move with daring speed, breathtaking fluidity, and bold release. His work is detail-oriented, and he works patiently to perfect movement quality, musicality, and nuance inside his work. He provides a supportive, collaborative work environment, which enables dancers to take bold chances.
Finding Now, his production for the Théâtre de Suresnes, won the 2018 Grand Prix de la Critique in Paris. He is the winner of the 2015 Hannover Think Big Choreographic Residency Competition and received the 2013 Prix Coup de Cœur du Public from the Festival Quartiers Danses Montréal.
