Dancer, choreographer. A protege of ballet master George Balanchine, he studied at the American Ballet School with Chester Hale Vilzak and began his career in 1937 dancing with Ballet Caravan. There he created the role of the State Trooper in the Filing Station, Alias in Billy the Kid, a Father in City Portrait and a leading part in A Thousand Times Neigh! He joined Ballet society in 1946 and created many roles for Balanchine including parts in the ballets: Four Temperaments, The Fox and Agon. Also he created roles for Robbins in the ballets: Age of Anxiety, Pied Piper, Fanfare, The Concert and Quartet. His first first chreography was made for American Concert Ballet in 1943, Mother Goose Suite, set to Ravel. For NYCB he made The Miraculous Mandarin, Souvenirs, The Still Point, Creation of the World, Seranade in A and Piano Rag Music. He was director of ballet in Cologne and in Frankfurt. He co-founded Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1975, was director of the ballet company in Ataturk Opera House and artistic director of Kansas City Ballet. He made many works for this including An American in Paris and Classic Symphony. He also danced and directed Broadway Musicals.
He died from complications of a stroke.
He died from complications of a stroke.
Dancer, choreographer. A protege of ballet master George Balanchine, he studied at the American Ballet School with Chester Hale Vilzak and began his career in 1937 dancing with Ballet Caravan. There he created the role of the State Trooper in the Filing Station, Alias in Billy the Kid, a Father in City Portrait and a leading part in A Thousand Times Neigh! He joined Ballet society in 1946 and created many roles for Balanchine including parts in the ballets: Four Temperaments, The Fox and Agon. Also he created roles for Robbins in the ballets: Age of Anxiety, Pied Piper, Fanfare, The Concert and Quartet. His first first chreography was made for American Concert Ballet in 1943, Mother Goose Suite, set to Ravel. For NYCB he made The Miraculous Mandarin, Souvenirs, The Still Point, Creation of the World, Seranade in A and Piano Rag Music. He was director of ballet in Cologne and in Frankfurt. He co-founded Pacific Northwest Ballet in 1975, was director of the ballet company in Ataturk Opera House and artistic director of Kansas City Ballet. He made many works for this including An American in Paris and Classic Symphony. He also danced and directed Broadway Musicals.
He died from complications of a stroke.
He died from complications of a stroke.
