Desmond Richardson

Desmond Richardson is co-founder and co-artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He has mastered a wide range of dance forms including classical, modern, and contemporary.

Life and career

Richardson's talent was first recognized as a student at New York High School for the Performing Arts during which time he received a merit scholarship from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (1983-1986) and the Internationale Akademie des Tanzes in Köln, Germany (1984-1985). He is also a recipient of a Presidential Scholar Award for the Arts (1986). In 1987, Richardson joined the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater where he was a principal dancer for seven years. After leaving the Ailey Company, he traveled to Germany where he performed with Ballet Frankfurt. Richardson has performed as a guest artist with several world-renowned companies including the Swedish Opera Ballet, the Washington Ballet, Teatro at La Scala, and the San Francisco Ballet.

In 1997, he joined the American Ballet Theater where he performed the lead role in the company's world premiere production of Othello. In 1998, Richardson joined the premiere cast of the Broadway musical Fosse for which he received a 1999 Tony Award Nomination. He has also appeared on Broadway in the musical The Look of Love: The songs of Burt Bacharach and Movin' Out. Richardson is also a faculty member at the dance convention PULSE.

Projects and awards

Richardson has worked in television, film, and video in the United States and abroad. These experiences have allowed him to perform with such musical artists as Michael Jackson, Prince, Aretha Franklin, and Madonna.

He performed with Michael Jackson in his 30th-anniversary celebration at Madison Square Garden.

Additional performances include being a featured guest artist in the 71st Annual Academy Awards live television presentation and a principal role in Debbie Allen's dance/theatrical presentation, Soul Possessed, which had its world premiere at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1999.

Richardson is featured in Patrick Swayze's film, One Last Dance and the film version of the Oscar-winning Chicago.

On July 16th, 2008, Richardson was featured as a choreographer on So You Think You Can Dance.

External links

• Complexions Contemporary Ballet website
• Columbia Artists Management website
• Archive film of Desmond Richardson and Karine Plantadit-Bageot performing Episodes (Living in the Present Moment) in 2000 at Jacob's Pillow

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