La La La Human Steps Founder, Artistic Director and Choreographer Édouard Lock began his choreographic career at the age of 20, creating works from 1974 to 1979 for a variety of Canadian dance companies and institutions, including Groupe Nouvelle Aire, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts and the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal. In 1980, he founded La La La Human Steps.
Over the years Mr. Lock has been invited to create works for some of the world’s leading dance companies, including the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris, the Het Nationale Ballet of Holland and the Nederlands Dans Theater. His works have garnered many awards, including Canada’s most important choreographic award, the Chalmers choreographic prize (1982, 2001); the New York Dance and Performance Award or the Bessie (1986); the 2001 Prix Denise-Pelletier, Québec’s highest award for the performing arts; the Governor General of Canada’s National Arts Centre Award (2001); and the 2003 Benois de la Danse choreographic award in Moscow for "AndréAuria", created for the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris in October 2002 and revived at the same venue in November 2006. In 2010, he received the Governor General’s Award for Performing Arts. The same year he was also beneficiary of the Molson Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts. Further the Université du Québec à Montréal awarded him an Honorary Doctorate (2010).
Mr. Lock co-conceived and was Artistic Director for David Bowie’s world tour, "Sound and Vision", in 1990. He also collaborated with Frank Zappa on the "Yellow Shark" concerts — alongside Germany’s Ensemble Modern, Frankfurt’s Alte Oper, the Berlin Philarmonic and Vienna’s KonzertHaus.
At the invitation of Robert Carsen and the Opéra de Paris, Mr. Lock choreographed the 2003 production of "Les Boréades", interpreted by La La La Human Steps at the Palais Garnier.
Various films have been made on Mr. Lock’s work including "La La La Human Sex duo no 1" in 1987, directed by Bernar Hébert and winner of six international awards, and "Le petit musée de Velasquez" in 1994, again by Mr. Hébert. In September 1997, the Toronto International Film Festival presented the documentary "Inspirations" by British director Michael Apted, featuring Mr. Lock alongside other figures of contemporary art and architecture such as painter Roy Lichtenstein and architect Tadao Ando.
Mr. Lock choreographed David Bowie and Louise Lecavalier for the 10th anniversary celebrations of London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts. The piece was filmed by video artist Nam June Paik.
The film adaptation of "Amelia", directed by Mr. Lock, had its American premiere at the 2004 Tribeca Film Festival and at Slamdance Festival in Park City, Utah, and its European premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival. It won its category at the Chicago International Film Festival, the Prague International Film Festival and the Rose d'Or Festival in Switzerland. "Amelia" also received a Special Jury Award for all categories at the Banff World Television Festival, and was the winner of two Gemini Awards for Best Direction and Best Editing in a Performing Arts Program. It also won two ICE awards from the National Association of Broadcasters in the Best Photography/ Videography and Best Editing categories. The film was also nominated at the international Emmy Awards.
Mr. Lock was named a Chevalier de l’Ordre du Québec in 2001, Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002 and Member of the Royal Society of Canada in November 2006.