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 Piggott 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 – 2016 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: On Stranger Tides – 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 3: Call of the Wild – Video: Choreographer – 2006 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 + Denise Faye film and television credits Year Title Role Notes 1988 The Equalizer Hooker Episode: "Target of Choice" 1995 Secret Sins Colleen Film 1995 Mighty Aphrodite Greek Chorus Film 1996 Milk & Money Kimberly Film 1997 Donnie Brasco Mob Girlfriend Film 1997 Destination Anywhere: The Film Stripper Direct-to-video 1997 The Next Step Heidi Film 1998 Witness to the Mob Dawn De Bat TV movie 1999 Martial Law Daphne Pierce Episode: "Breakout" 1999 Game Day Cassandra Film 2001 American Pie 2 Danielle Film 2002 Chicago Annie Film. American Choreography Award for Outstanding Achievement in Feature FilmBroadcast Film Critics Association Award for Best CastScreen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureNominated—Phoenix Film Critics Society Award for Best Cast 2003 The Drew Carey Show Susie Episode: "Turkeyspotting" 2003 George Lopez Nicole Episode: "The Cuban Missus Crisis" 2009 Nine Female Dancer Film 2010 Burlesque Preacher Film 2012 Rock of Ages Protest Mother #1 Film 2012 Paranorman Blithe Hollow Townsperson (voice) Film 2013 Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (Additional Voices) Film

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