Stephan Choiniere Stephan entwines with his dance partner, to portray the discovery of a lover’s body for Cirque du Soleil in ZUMANITY’s “body2body” act. Part modern dance; part tantric counterbalancing duet, “body2body” underscores the beauty of intimacy with breathtaking Kama Sutra-inspired manoeuvres in a physical dance displaying astonishing strength, flexibility and trust. Courtesy of Zumanity, “body2body” has appeared in the television shows: Dennis Miller Live, MTV’s Diaries with Jennifer Alba, El Gordo Y La Flaca, and Despierta America. The act is also featured in the “Adventure” episode of Cirque du Soleil’s television series, “Solstrom.” Stephan delivers an accomplished career as a competitive NCAA gymnast, prolific dancer/ choreographer, stunt man, actor and model.
Prior to joining ZUMANITY, he was a principal performer with AntiGravity in New York, integrating dance, acrobatics and aerials for the company’s original shows and corporate productions. While with AntiGravity, Stephan worked in such esteemed venues as: The Metropolitan Opera House, performing acrobatics for numerous operas; Madison Square Garden for the Mr. Olympia Competition; Radio City Music Hall for MTV’s Video Music Awards with P. Diddy; as well as performing nightly at the award ceremonies of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
He is also proud to have been a featured entertainer at special events for George Lucas, Richard Branson, George Soros, and Paul Newman. Stephan also played a major role in the development and presentation of Antigravity’s first full-length production, Crash Test Dummies, and has been a featured performer in high profile benefits for Broadway Cares Equity Fights AIDS and Dancers Responding to AIDS.
Translating his talents from the stage to the screen, audiences have seen him crash and burn in the movie While You Were Sleeping; as Michael J. Fox’s regular stunt double on the sitcom, Spin City; in commercials for Cingular Wireless, and on the late night television shows, Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, The Daily Show and USA Up All Night.
As an action model, Stephan has shot national and international print campaigns for Samsung, Capezio, Amway, Footlocker and Sports Illustrated, with additional magazine images for Zumanity, in Zink, and Playboy. He has appeared in several art books including Artistic Gymnastics by Fred Turoff, and Airborne by Lois Greenfield.
In 2005 Stephan was honoured with an exclusive profile in Dancer magazine as a “dancer/choreographer to watch.” Off stage, Stephan is a master choreographer and teacher who has been on staff at The Ailey School and Sutton Gymnastics, NYC. His distinct style of acrobatic and aerial dance has been showcased in New York at the historical Henry Street De Jur Playhouse, Symphony Space, the New Victory Theater; the “Main Event” of DANCENOW/NYC and The Fire Island Dance Festival. Stephan received a BFA in painting from Tyler School of Art, while on gymnastics scholarship at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. A New Yorker at heart, he currently resides in Las Vegas.
