# Denise Faye

Denise Faye Greenbaum (born July 16, 1963) is an American actress, dancer, choreographer, and director. She is the recipient of an American Choreography Award, as well as a Screen Actor's Guild Award for the 2002 film Chicago. Faye won the Dance Track Magazine Artist Award for best choreography in a feature film for her work in Burlesque. Additionally, she received nominations including the Fred and Adele Astaire Award and The World Dance Awards for her choreography in Burlesque.

## Career

In 2014, Faye co-directed and choreographed much of Cher's Dressed to Kill tour. Later she directed the concert DVD of Martha Davis & the Motels Live at the Whisky a Go Go's 50th Anniversary, released in the summer of 2015. Next she directed a music video for Martha Davis and the Motels.
Faye directed the staged reading of the musical The Magic Horn, written by Charlie Midnight, James Marr and Wendy Piggot at The Geffen Playhouse in Los Angeles, which was being developed for the Broadway stage.
Faye's choreography includes working with Hugh Jackman on a multimillion-dollar live extravaganza for Steve Wynn, Jennifer Aniston's strip tease in We're the Millers, and re-staging/choreographing Catherine Zeta-Jones in All That Jazz for the 85th Annual Academy Awards.
Among her many Broadway credits are Chicago, Guys and Dolls and Jerome Robbins Broadway. Plays include works at the Public Theater, Lincoln Center Theater, Williamstown Theater Festival and Second Stage Theater.
Her choreography can be seen in such films as My Week with Marilyn, We're the Millers, Burlesque, and working alongside her mentor, Rob Marshall, in the Academy Award–winning Chicago, and Nine, among others. In television, she has choreographed and directed segments on shows such as The American Music Awards, Dancing with the Stars, and The X Factor UK. Additionally, she has choreographed many television commercials including GoDaddy for the 2012 Super Bowl and Dasani Water for the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Prior to this, Faye trained at the School of American Ballet, danced with the New York City Ballet and then attended Barnard College with a double major in Urban Studies and Psychology. She has also danced in the Jon Bon Jovi music video "Queen of New Orleans", which was the first single from Jon's solo album Destination Anywhere.
In one of her most recent film performances, she appeared alongside Tom Cruise, Mary J. Blige, and Alec Baldwin in the 2012 film Rock of Ages. She also appeared alongside Sandra Bullock and Casey Affleck in Chris Butler and Sam Fell's animated movie Paranorman in that same year as the voice of a Blithe Hollow Townperson. This was her first appearance as a voice in an animated film. Her last film appearance was in 2013, when she made her second appearance as a voice in an animated film, Legends of Oz: Dorothy Returns, starring Lea Michelle and Bernadette Peters.
Since 2013, Faye's career has been focused solely on choreography. In 2013 she choreographed The Oscars, and in 2015 she choreographed an episode of the TV series Kriste. She has also do choreography work in several other films and series since, including Central Intelligence (2016) and episodes of Mary + Jane (2017). In 2023, she was a choreographer for the music video "Heartbeat" by Davina Michelle.

## Projects

* Magic Horn – Broadway musical in development: Director/Producer
* Cher's Dressed to Kill tour
* Martha Davis and the Motels – Video: Director
* Davina Michelle: Heartbeat - Music video choreographer- 2023
* Red Notice- Was a choreographer in this film starring Dwayne Johnson and Ryan Reynolds
* Witches- Was a choreographer in the film based on Roald Dahl's book The Witches. - 2020
* Ryan Hansen Solves Crime on Television - Choreographed two episodes in Season 4, which included episodes 4 and 8.
* The Ranch- Choreographed one episode of this TV series (Season 2 Episode 7) - 2017
* Mary + Jane- Choreographed Season 1 Episode 10.
* Central Intelligence - Choreographer -
* Steve Wynn birthday extravaganza starring Hugh Jackman – 2014
* Fred and Adele Astaire Awards – Choreographed "All That Jazz" featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones – 2013
* We're the Millers – Film: Choreographed Jennifer Aniston's strip tease, Rawson Marshall Thurber director – 2013
* Kirstie – TV: Choreographer – Kirstie Alley and Michael Richards – 2013
* The Academy Awards – TV: Restaged/Choreographed All That Jazz featuring Catherine Zeta-Jones – 2013
* My Week with Marilyn – Film: Choreographed and Directed Michelle Williams musical numbers – 2011
* Pirates of the Caribbean 4 – Film: Associate Choreographer, Rob Marshall director, John DeLuca choreographer – Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz – 2011
* Burlesque – Film: Choreographer, Steven Antin director – Cher, Christina Aguilera – 2010
* The American Music Awards – TV: Director/Choreographer of Musical Segment – 2010
* X Factor UK-series finale – TV: Director/Choreographer of Musical Segment – 2010
* Dancing with the Stars – TV: Director/Choreographer of Musical Segment – 2010
* Castle: Choreographer – 2011
* Saving Grace – TV: Choreographer – Holly Hunter – 2009
* Nine – Film: Associate Choreographer, Rob Marshall director/co-choreographer with John DeLuca – Daniel Day-Lewis, Nicole Kidman, Marianne Cotilliard, Penélope Cruz – 2009
* The 59th Primetime Emmy Awards – TV: Associate Choreographer, Rob Marshall/John DeLuca choreographer – 2007
* Tony Bennett: An American Classic – TV: Associate Choreographer, Rob Marshall director/co-choreographer with John DeLuca – Tony Bennett, Barbra Streisand, Christina Aguilera – 2006
* Memoirs of a Geisha – Film: Associate Choreographer, Rob Marshall director, John DeLuca choreographer – Gong Li, Zhang Ziyi – 2005
* Stuart Little Three – Video: Choreographer – 2005
* The 75th Annual Academy Awards – TV: Associate Choreographer, Rob Marshall/John DeLuca choreographers – 2003
* Chicago – Film: Associate Choreographer, Rob Marshall director/choreographer – Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, Catherine Zeta-Jones – 2002
* Annie – Disney TV Movie: Associate Choreographer, Rob Marshall director/choreographer – Alan Cumming, Kristin Chenoweth, Victor Garber – 1999

## Filmography

| Title | Year | Role | Notes |
| The Equalizer | 1988 | Hooker | Episode: "Target of Choice" |
| Secret Sins | 1995 | Colleen | |
| Mighty Aphrodite | 1995 | Greek Chorus | |
| Milk & Money | 1996 | Kimberly | |
| Donnie Brasco | 1997 | Mob Girlfriend | |
| Destination Anywhere: The Film | 1997 | Stripper | Direct-to-video |
| The Next Step | 1997 | Heidi | |
| Witness to the Mob | 1998 | Dawn De Bat | Television film |
| Martial Law | 1999 | Daphne Pierce | Episode: "Breakout" |
| That Championship Season | 1999 | Marion | |
| Game Day | 1999 | Cassandra | |
| American Pie 2 | 2001 | Danielle | |
| Chicago | 2002 | Annie | American Choreography Award for Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film Broadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best Cast Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture Nominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast |
| The Drew Carey Show | 2003 | Susie | Episode: "Turkeyspotting" |
| George Lopez | 2003 | Nicole | Episode: "The Cuban Missus Crisis" |
| Nine | 2009 | Female Dancer | |
| Burlesque | 2010 | Preacher | |
| Rock of Ages | 2012 | Protest Mother #1 | |
| Paranorman | 2012 | Blithe Hollow Townsperson (voice) | |
| Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return | 2013 | (Additional Voices) | |

## Stage credits

| Title | Year | Role | Production | Notes |
| Song and Dance | 1985 | Various roles | Royale Theatre | 1985–1986 |
| The Winter's Tale | 1989 | Ensemble | Joseph Papp Public Theater | |
| The Winter's Tale | 1989 | Ensemble | Anspacher Theater | |
| Jerome Robbins' Broadway | 1989 | Various roles | Imperial Theatre | 1989–1990 |
| Guys and Dolls | 1992 | Mimi / Doll | Martin Beck Theatre | 1992–1995 |
| The Goodbye Girl | 1993 | Cast of Richard III | Marquis Theatre | |
| Chronicle of a Death Foretold | 1995 | Maria | Plymouth Theatre | |
| Swinging on a Star | 1995 | Various roles | Music Box Theatre | 1995–1996 |
| Filumena | 1996 | Diana | | |
| Chicago | 1996 | Liz | Richard Rodgers Theatre | 1996–1997 |
| A Madhouse in Goa | 1997 | Aliki | Second Stage Theater | |
| Chicago | 1997 | Liz | Shubert Theatre | 1997–2003 |

## Awards and nominations

| Award | Year | Category | Nominated Work | Result |
| American Choreography Awards | 2002 | Outstanding Achievement in Feature Film | Chicago | Won |
| Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards | 2002 | Best Cast | Chicago | Won |
| Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | 2002 | Best Cast | Chicago | Nominated |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | 2002 | Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture | Chicago | Won |
| World Dance Award | 2011 | Outstanding Choreography Feature Film | | Nominated |
| The Fred and Adele Astaire Awards | 2011 | Best Choreography in a Feature Film | | Nominated |
| Dance Track Magazine -Artist Award | 2011 | Best Choreographer Film | | Won |