Ryan Heffington

“A world with more dance is a world with more joy.” - Ryan Heffington

Contemporary dancer and choreographer from California, Ryan Heffinton, brings fluidity, freedom, and unapologetic queer expression to his work. Regardless if it centers on LGBTQIA+ identities or not, there is no doubt that queer culture and aesthetics inspire all that he creates. 

Ryan’s unique style shook the world in Sia’s Chandelier music video in 2014. Just a year prior, his work on Arcade Fire’s music video We Exist opened up conversations on gender identity and sexual orientation during a time when LGBTQIA+ folks were denied the spotlight.

Since then, his work has been igniting imaginations across the globe, showcasing queer freedom and gender defying performances by Christine and the Queens, FKA Twigs, Florence and the Machine, and Harry Styles.

He has collaborated with brands like CHANEL, Apple, Tiffany & Co. and Doordash to create memorable commercials and even choreographed unforgettable scenes for HBO’s Euphoria and Netflix’s The OA. Ryan transforms stories through dance where words fall short and such accolades highlighting his incredible feats. They include an Emmy for Euphoria and two Grammy nominations for Chandelier and We Exist. His impact, though, reaches far beyond the screen.

For a decade in Los Angeles Ryan shared his love of the art form at the Sweat Spot dance studio, an inclusive space for queer, trans, and nontraditional dancers to come together and express themselves. Opening in 2010, the studio welcomed all bodies, ages, and genders to dance without judgement.  The community convened together for performances, dance parties, and benefits. When the 2020 lockdown closed the studio doors, Ryan sparked a virtual dance moment SWEATFEST on Instagram. Connections ignited immediately through posts and stories of folks dancing in their homes, lifting the weight of reality even if just for a moment.

In 2022, Ryan delivered his Ted Talk, How Dance Can Unleash Your Inner Joy. A natural dancer, flair and playfulness highlighted each phrase as he pointed out the natural movements we use in our everyday lives. Think: tying your shoes or brushing your teeth. The ordinary transforms into the extraordinary by slight adjustments to time and space. By reframing movement through a lens of dance, Ryan suggests, we’re opening up a whole new world full of joy. With our imagination and an openness, anything can be transformed into dance. And with that comes the power to express ourselves.

This philosophy carries on throughout Ryan’s body of work. For the Apple Accessibility commercial, I’m Not Remarkable, college students dance through the ups and downs of college life. The message: we all need something to get by. For Bad Bunny’s 2026 Superbowl Halftime Show he choreographed a commercial, The World Will Dance in which the artists sways to his music of an all-inclusive montage.

Ryan’s body of work amplifies the message that we don’t need a degree in dance or perfect rhythm to be a dancer. All we need is to channel that joy from within.