Stephan Laurent

An “affair of the heart” prompted Stephan Laurent to dedicate his life to dance. He’d originally gone to the University of Lausanne to major in history, German literature, and art history, but his girlfriend at the time was taking classes in a ballet school that offered free dance classes to young men who agreed to join their company. He decided he’d try dance … and perhaps get to see his sweetheart a little more. The girlfriend didn’t last, but by the second month he was taking three classes a day.

“There was a good saying by my dance professor,” says Laurent. “She said, ‘You don’t choose dance; dance chooses you.’”

Laurent, born Laurent Stephan Faesi, grew up in Lausanne, Switzerland. He came to the United States in 1973, earning a BFA that year and an MFA summa cum laude in 1979 from Southern Methodist University. He danced professionally for several years, but when he hit 30, he realized “the pleasure of dancing is great, but it’s beginning to hurt.” Meanwhile, he had developed a love for choreography.

“I grew up with a deep passion for classical music. I discovered that by becoming a choreographer, I was actually composing music on bodies,” Laurent says. “And that’s my greatest love – choreographing and teaching. If you teach, you keep your creative skills growing continuously.”

When he’s not teaching classes and leading rehearsals, he’s a politically active member of the ACLU, People for the American Way and moveon.org. But dance is never far off. He’s on the Dance Kaleidoscope advisory board, writes critiques for danceinsider.com and also is involved with national and international accreditation for dance programs in higher education and professional schools.

His wife, soprano Ellen Denham, is cantor at St. John Catholic Church, a faculty member at Earlham College and voice teacher at Broad Ripple High School and Fairview Studios. Oldest son Chris graduated from Butler and is a dancer with the Richmond Ballet. Middle child Daniel, also a Butler graduate, teaches in the Greenwood public schools. Daughter Emma is a high school senior. Laurent has spent 16 years at Butler – 15 as chairman of the Department of Dance.

“We really attract some of the best talent from all around the nation and abroad,” he says. “And also some people who want to develop themselves as thinkers and as people. It’s not simply working with a technician, but it’s working with the whole person. And that’s what I love.”