Luc Lafortune
Encyclopedia
Luc Lafortune is an award-winning lighting designer
for the entertainment industry as well as one of the original designers of the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil
. He works in both conceptual and technical development, having collaborated with the likes of Franco Dragone
and Mark Fisher.
Luc Lafortune studied at Dawson College
, and then McGill University
, where he obtained a bachelor's degree
in Arts. He later obtained a second bachelor's degree, in Fine Arts, this one however from Concordia University
, under the tutelage of Don Childs, who now chairs the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas.
Upon graduation, he went to work for Cirque du Soleil, embarking on their first tour, Le Grand Tour, a 13-week stint across rural Quebec, which was organized in conjunction with the celebrations marking the 450th anniversary of the discovery of Canada by French explorer, Jacques Cartier
. Since then, Lafortune has designed numerous Cirque du Soleil shows. His résumé includes the shows Le Cirque Réinventé (We Reinvent the Circus), Fascination
, Nouvelle Expérience
, Saltimbanco
, Mystère
, Alegría, Quidam
, O
, La Nouba
, Dralion
, Varekai
(co-designer), Zumanity
and Kà
.
Many internationally successful artists have also called upon his talents. He has worked with No Doubt
, The Eagles, Gypsy Kings, and The Dixie Chicks. In 2002, he worked with Peter Gabriel
, designing the lighting for his world tour entitled Growing Up.
In recent years, Lafortune has consulted for companies such as Dentsu
Incorporated of Japan, one of the largest advertising agency brands in the world, as well as The Boeing
Company, in Seattle, Washington.
He is also a sought-after speaker and sits on the Board of Directors of the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas.
Luc Lafortune has won numerous awards for his work. In 1992, his design for the show Saltimbanco earned him a Drama-Logue Award
.
In 1994, he received the Lighting Dimensions International (LDI) Lighting Designer of the Year Award. In 1997, his work alongside Michael Keeling on Martin Professionals' The Atomic Lounge won the LDI Award for Best Light Show. In 1998, he received an EDDY Entertainment Design Award for his lighting design for the show O, as well as a THEA (Themed Entertainment Association
) Award, in 1999. In 2004, his name appeared on the list of “50 People of Influence in the Entertainment Industry”, as compiled by Live Design Magazine. And in 2005, he was honored with the USITT (United States Institute of Theatre Technology) Distinguished Achievement Award in Lighting Design.
Lighting designer
The role of the lighting designer within theatre is to work with the director, choreographer, set designer, costume designer, and sound designer to create an overall 'look' for the show in response to the text, while keeping in mind issues of visibility, safety and cost...
for the entertainment industry as well as one of the original designers of the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil
Cirque du Soleil , is a Canadian entertainment company, self-described as a "dramatic mix of circus arts and street entertainment." Based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, and located in the inner-city area of Saint-Michel, it was founded in Baie-Saint-Paul in 1984 by two former street performers, Guy...
. He works in both conceptual and technical development, having collaborated with the likes of Franco Dragone
Franco Dragone
Franco Dragone is a Italian-Belgian theatre director. He is known for his work with Cirque du Soleil.-Early life:Dragone was born in Cairano, Italy, and moved to La Louvière, Belgium at age seven. In the 1970s, he studied theatre at the Belgian Royal Conservatory of Mons...
and Mark Fisher.
Career
Dawson College
Dawson College was the first English CEGEP and is located in Westmount, just west of downtown Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Dawson College is located near the heart of downtown Montreal in a former nunnery on 4.85 hectares of green space...
, and then McGill University
McGill University
Mohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
, where he obtained a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in Arts. He later obtained a second bachelor's degree, in Fine Arts, this one however from Concordia University
Concordia University
Concordia University is a comprehensive Canadian public university located in Montreal, Quebec, one of the two universities in the city where English is the primary language of instruction...
, under the tutelage of Don Childs, who now chairs the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas.
Upon graduation, he went to work for Cirque du Soleil, embarking on their first tour, Le Grand Tour, a 13-week stint across rural Quebec, which was organized in conjunction with the celebrations marking the 450th anniversary of the discovery of Canada by French explorer, Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier
Jacques Cartier was a French explorer of Breton origin who claimed what is now Canada for France. He was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of the Saint Lawrence River, which he named "The Country of Canadas", after the Iroquois names for the two big...
. Since then, Lafortune has designed numerous Cirque du Soleil shows. His résumé includes the shows Le Cirque Réinventé (We Reinvent the Circus), Fascination
Fascination
Fascination may refer to:In music:*Fascination!, 1983 synth pop album by The Human League**" Fascination", a song in The Human League album Fascination!...
, Nouvelle Expérience
Nouvelle Experience
Nouvelle Expérience was Cirque du Soleil's fourth touring circus show, which premiered in 1990. The show's tour ended in 1993 in The Mirage parking lot in Las Vegas, Nevada. Over 1.3 million people saw the production during its 3½-year run.-Cast:...
, Saltimbanco
Saltimbanco
Saltimbanco is the oldest major touring show of Cirque du Soleil that remains active in some form. Saltimbanco ran from 1992 to 2006 in its original form, performed under a large circus tent called the Grand Chapiteau; its last performance in that form was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 10,...
, Mystère
Mystère
Mystère may refer to:* Dassault Mystère, a French fighter-bomber* Martin Mystère, a fictional character* Mystère , a production show* Mystère , a Canadian manufacturer of multihulls* Mystère , a 1983 thriller film...
, Alegría, Quidam
Quidam
Quidam is the ninth stage show produced by Cirque du Soleil. It premiered in April 1996 and has now been watched by millions of spectators around the world...
, O
O (Cirque du Soleil)
O is a water-themed stage production by Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian circus and entertainment company. The show has been in permanent residence at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, since October 1998...
, La Nouba
La Nouba
La Nouba is a Cirque du Soleil show, which, like most Cirque du Soleil shows, is a circus-like performance featuring acrobats, gymnasts, and other skilled performers. The show's creation was directed by Franco Dragone, who also directed most of Cirque du Soleil's earlier shows. Its title derives...
, Dralion
Dralion
Dralion is a touring production by the Canadian entertainment company Cirque du Soleil. The show combines elements of traditional Chinese circus with Western contemporary circus, complementing the "East-meets-West" theme implied in the title — the name is a portmanteau of "dragon" and "lion"...
, Varekai
Varekai
Varekai is a Cirque du Soleil touring production that premiered in Montréal in April 2002. Its title means "wherever" in the Romani language, and the show is an "acrobatic tribute to the nomadic soul"....
(co-designer), Zumanity
Zumanity
Zumanity is a resident cabaret-style show by Cirque du Soleil at the New York-New York Hotel & Casino on the Las Vegas Strip. The production was unveiled on September 20, 2003. It is the first "adult-themed" Cirque du Soleil show, billed as "the sensual side of Cirque du Soleil" or "another side...
and Kà
Ka
-Language:* Ka * Ka * Georgian language, ISO 639-1 code ka* A glyph in the Brahmic family of scripts-Media and entertainment:* Ka * Kà, a Cirque du Soleil show* Mister Mosquito, a video game, known in Japan as Ka...
.
Many internationally successful artists have also called upon his talents. He has worked with No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
, The Eagles, Gypsy Kings, and The Dixie Chicks. In 2002, he worked with Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, designing the lighting for his world tour entitled Growing Up.
In recent years, Lafortune has consulted for companies such as Dentsu
Dentsu
is one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. Its headquarters are located in the Dentsu Building in the Shiodome district of Minato, Tokyo....
Incorporated of Japan, one of the largest advertising agency brands in the world, as well as The Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
Company, in Seattle, Washington.
He is also a sought-after speaker and sits on the Board of Directors of the Stagecraft Institute of Las Vegas.
Awards
Drama-Logue Award
The Drama-Logue Award was a theater award established in 1977, given by the publishers of Drama-Logue newspaper, a weekly west-coast theater trade publication. Winners were selected by the publication's theater critics, and would receive a certificate at an annual awards ceremony...
.
In 1994, he received the Lighting Dimensions International (LDI) Lighting Designer of the Year Award. In 1997, his work alongside Michael Keeling on Martin Professionals' The Atomic Lounge won the LDI Award for Best Light Show. In 1998, he received an EDDY Entertainment Design Award for his lighting design for the show O, as well as a THEA (Themed Entertainment Association
Themed Entertainment Association
The Themed Entertainment Association is an international non-profit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment...
) Award, in 1999. In 2004, his name appeared on the list of “50 People of Influence in the Entertainment Industry”, as compiled by Live Design Magazine. And in 2005, he was honored with the USITT (United States Institute of Theatre Technology) Distinguished Achievement Award in Lighting Design.
- 2005 USITT United States Institute of Theatre Technology Distinguished Lighting Designer Award
- 1999 THEA Themed Entertainment AssociationThemed Entertainment AssociationThe Themed Entertainment Association is an international non-profit association that represents creators, developers, designers and producers of themed entertainment...
Award in the “Live Show” Category, for OO (Cirque du Soleil)O is a water-themed stage production by Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian circus and entertainment company. The show has been in permanent residence at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, since October 1998... - 1998 EDDY Entertainment Design Award, Show of the Year, for OO (Cirque du Soleil)O is a water-themed stage production by Cirque du Soleil, a Canadian circus and entertainment company. The show has been in permanent residence at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, since October 1998...
- 1997 Lighting Dimensions International Light Show of the Year Award, for Martin’s Atomic Lounge
- 1994 Lighting Dimensions International Lighting Designer of the Year
- 1992 Drama-Logue Critics AwardDrama-Logue AwardThe Drama-Logue Award was a theater award established in 1977, given by the publishers of Drama-Logue newspaper, a weekly west-coast theater trade publication. Winners were selected by the publication's theater critics, and would receive a certificate at an annual awards ceremony...
in Lighting, for SaltimbancoSaltimbancoSaltimbanco is the oldest major touring show of Cirque du Soleil that remains active in some form. Saltimbanco ran from 1992 to 2006 in its original form, performed under a large circus tent called the Grand Chapiteau; its last performance in that form was in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on December 10,...
External links