ZOE RAPPAPORT
CREATIVE MOVEMENT DIRECTOR / CHOREOGRAPHER / ARTIST
Grounded in the belief that movement was born to bring people together and communicate beyond words,
Zoe Rappaport is a highly sought-after creative force based in Los Angeles & New York.
Working with some of the top names in the industry over the last 15 years, Zoe's versatile background in dance/choreography, visual arts, makeup and music has led her to work in many worlds from editorial, fashion and tv/film to music videos, live performance & site-specific, immersive work. As a Creative Movement Director/Choreographer, Zoe has worked with global artists, luxury brands and major publications such as Estée Lauder, Vidal Sassoon, Grammy award-winning artist ZHU and Condé Nast's "LOVE" Magazine. From movement directing Alexis Ren to The Fat Jewish to Danielle Lauder (Estée's great-granddaughter), Zoe's expressive movement style lives in the center of a venn diagram — transcending genre & equipping her with the skills necessary to uncover the intrinsic movement within a diverse array of talent.
Mentored by highly acclaimed artists by the time she was 18 years old, Zoe has performed the works of world-renowned choreographer Adrienne Hawkins (Impulse Dance), Jimmy Locust (Michael & Janet Jackson, Paula Abdul), Billy Siegenfeld (Jump Rhythm Jazz Project), Kathryn Posin, Sarah Elgart/Arrogant Elbow and Mecca Vazie Andrews. Since 2010, Zoe has performed and/or shown her multidisciplinary work at venues such as The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA, World of Dance NY, Webster Hall, Dance New Amsterdam, LaMama Experimental Theatre, The Bootleg Theater and The Hatch Shell. Her dance film work has been featured in Dance Magazine as well as screened internationally at film festivals in Los Angeles, New York and Istanbul.
A collaborative interdisciplinary artist, Zoe was mentored by legendary makeup artist Linda Mason while working as a professional dancer/choreographer in New York — introducing Zoe to a whole new perspective & world in regards to the intersection of art, beauty, fashion and movement. Zoe has since contributed her artistic skills working on fashion shows for Hermés to award shows like The Latin Grammy's...from music videos for A$AP Rocky to popular television shows America's Got Talent and So You Think You Can Dance.
In 2014, Zoe had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work on the legendary dance piece "HEARTBEAT" (toured internationally by Mikhail Baryshnikov in the '90s) — created by international sound artist Christopher Janney & choreographed by Sara Rudner. As part of a psychedelic rock concert at Gramercy Theater, Zoe had the privilege of interviewing legendary musicians Sheila E, Bill Laswell, Lynn Mabry, Trilok Gurtu, Dave Revels (The Persuasions), DJ Adam Gibbons, DJ Logik, Sara Rudner & Dancer Sunny Hitt. A highly sought-after creative collaborator, Zoe has brought her unparalleled skill set to a number of innovative projects with prolific artists including mixed-media installation artist Laurie Shapiro, SYTYCYD's Comfort Fedoke, musical artist Londrelle, NYC-based performance poet Libby Mislan, Sweden-based producer Zaquan & more.
Since 2019, Zoe has served as the Creative Producer for Dare to Dance in Public Film Festival (D2D) — a dance film festival dedicated to the concept of democratizing dance so that it may be seen & experienced not just in studios and theaters, but in public space. Working in collaboration with Founder/Director Sarah Elgart, D2D has brought in some of the top industry professionals form the worlds of dance & film to judge including go-to Creative Movement Director Stephen Galloway, Mass MOCA Director Kristy Edmunds, legendary dancer Louise Lecavalier and many more.
Currently, Zoe creates & curates live performances and visual projections for UTOPIA – the soulful house music & dance experience birthed in Leimert Park during the pandemic that has since become one of LA's most well-known weekly events. Featured artists have included the iconic House of Ninja & international house dancer Toyin Sogunro performing alongside legendary DJs Tony Touch, Rashida, KG Superstar, Ade & many more at venues such as Grand Park, The Peppermint Club and Mama Shelter Hotel.
Raised by a civil rights/anti-war activist and pioneer of expressive arts therapies, Zoe grew up with the understanding that dance and the arts are deeply woven into the fabric of the fight for social justice. She is passionately committed to educating/mentoring the next generation of dance-artists and has been teaching since she was 16 years old. She is currently adjunct faculty at Hussian College (formerly The Studio School) in their BFA Commercial Dance Program. Zoe also works regularly with dancers, DJs and artists in the community to bring authentic, dance-centric events to venues throughout LA & beyond — in the spirit of bringing movement to more people...
and elevating our field as a whole.