Oakland, California, United States
Jim French designs lighting for the performing arts and live events, with work seen in more than twenty five countries around the globe. Highlights of Jim's work in dance include over thrity world premieres for San Francisco Ballet, nine seasons as resident designer for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and long running collaborations with choreographers Val Caniparoli, Amy Seiwert, Pascal Rioult, and with vertical dance company Bandaloop. At home in San Francisco, he has collaborated with Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Smuin Contemporary Ballet, Opera Parallele, Shotgun Players, Kronos Quartet, Joe Goode Performance Group, ODC Dance, Post:Ballet, SF Danceworks, West Edge Opera, and has been the house Lighting Designer at SF Jazz. Favorite credits from further afield include Finnish National Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Zurich Ballet, Ballet West, Ballett Basel, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Nederlands Dans Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Houston Ballet, Carte Blanche, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, and LA Dance Project. Jim has designed lighting for the Global Climate Action Summit, and volunteers for Dancers Responding to AIDS and Bike East Bay.
Lighting Designs for over 30 world premiere ballets and dance films, with choreography by: Helgi Tomasson, Azure Barton, Cathy Marston, Trey McIntyre, Val Caniparoli, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Myles Thatcher, Danielle Rowe, Yuri Possokhov, Nicolas Blanc, Benjamin Millepied, Arthur Pita, Jiri Bubeniceck, Claudia Schreier, Yuka Oishi, Bridget Breiner, Jamar Roberts, Christopher Wheeldon, and Robert Garland Lighting director for 100+ performance annual home season at the San Francisco War Memorial Opera House. Lighting Director for International and Domestic touring, including: Madrid, London, Beijing, Shanghai, Reykjavik, Copenhagen, New York, Washington, Orange County, Sun Valley, Napa, Jackson Hole, Palo Alto Lighting Director for
Freelance Design Highlights: Liliom by John Neumeier: Czech National Ballet Jekyll & Hyde by Val Caniparoli: Finnish National Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Colorado Ballet, Ballet West, Royal Winnipeg Ballet At Night's Delicious Close by Nicolas Blanc: Oregon Ballet Theatre Mere Mortals by Azure Barton: San Francisco Ballet The Shining by Paul Morevic, directed by Brian Staufenbiel: Opera Parallele, Atlanta Opera, Portland Opera, Utah Opera, Tampa Opera The Little Mermaid by John Neumeier: Houston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet Mrs Robinson by Cathy Marston: Zurich Ballet, San Francisco Ballet Ten Duets on a Theme of Rescue by Crystal Pite: Nederlands Dance Theatre, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Strut (Australia), Ballets Jazz de Montreal, Carte Blanche (Norway), Hessiches Staatsballet, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet Single Eye by Alonzo King: American Ballet Theatre No Alibi by Amy Seiwert: ODC Dance Orpheus Highway by Benjamin Millepied: LA Dance Project Double Exposure by RAW Dance
Lighting Designs: Wabash & U by Chanel DaSilva (2025) Broken Wings by Annabelle Lopez Ochoa (2025) Princess & The Pea by Danielle Rowe (2025) Heimat by Cathy Marston (2025) Andante by Yuri Possokhov (2025) The Little Mermaid by John Neumeier (2023)
Lighting Designs: Deep River (2022) Single Eye (2022) Excerpts (2021) Ginastera Estancia Suite (2021) Azoth (2019) The Personal Element; Lines Ballet (2019), Pacific Northwest Ballet (2021) Common Ground (2018)
Lighting Designs: Jekyll & Hyde by Val Caniparoli (2024) Dracula by Ben Stevenson (2023) The Sleeping Beauty by Adam Sklute (2023) Romeo & Juliet by Michael Smuin (2022) Rodeo by Agnes De Mille (2022) Jewels by George Balanchine (2020) Apollo by George Balanchine (2019) Prodigal Son by George Balanchine (2019) Le Chant Du Rosignol by George Balanchine (2019) Jabula by Natalie Weir (2018) Sweet & Bitter by Africa Guzman (2018) Fox On The Doorstep by Nicolo Fonte (2017) Dances for Lou by Val Caniparoli (2017) Lighting Director for National Choreographic Festival 2017, 2018