ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Jacques Heim was born in Paris. He earned a BFA in Theatre, Dance and Film from Middlebury College, and then was awarded a Certificate for Analysis and Criticism of Dance from the University of Surrey in England. Heim moved to Los Angeles in 1989 and attended California Institute for the Arts, receiving an MFA in Choreography. In 1992, Heim founded Diavolo Dance Theater. Inspired by the unusual and innovative way that Heim works with architectural structures in Diavolo, the creative team at Cirque du Soleil commissioned Jacques Heim to choreograph Ka, their newest permanent (and still-running) show in Las Vegas which opened in February of 2005. His most recent assignment outside of Diavolo is the innovative choreography for the production of The Stones at the Center Theatre Group’s Douglas Theater in Los Angeles. Mr. Heim is in constant demand to choreograph and direct live events for corporate clients such as Amgen, General Motors, Sunrider, Honda, and Wells Fargo. Mr. Heim was recently named the Artistic Director for the 2005 Taurus World Stunt Awards, and was nominated for the CalArts/Alpert Awards-in-the-Arts for Dance in both 2000 and 1996. In 1999, Heim received a James Irvine Foundation Fellowship in choreography, and a Fellowship from the Brody Arts Fund. In 1998 and 1999 Heim was nominated for a Lester Horton award for Best Choreography. He has been named one of the "Faces to Watch in the Arts" by the LA Times and one of the "100 Coolest People in LA" by Buzz Magazine. Heim has taught Intensive Movement for Actors at UCLA, and Cal State LA. Other honors include the 1992 Martha Hill Choreography Award from the American Dance Festival and the 1992 Special Prize of the Jury at the 6th Saitama International Dance Festival in Saitama, Japan.