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Desmond Richardson
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 its description of Richardson’s performance in that role, the New York Times described him as “one of the most majestic dancers ever to tread the MET Stage.” 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 and in the critically acclaimed Movin’ Out. He had a principal role in Debbie Allen’s dance/theatrical presentation, Soul Possessed, which premiered at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 1999. 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 is featured in Patrick Swayze and Lisa Niemi's film, One Last Dance and the Oscar winning Chicago. He made his singing debut inCharles Randolph Wright’s 2005 film, On the One and will appear in Julie Taymor’s soon to be released Across the Universe. In 2006, Richardson was featured in the Lincoln Center’s Stars of the 21st Century Gala and in the 78th Annual Academy Awards live television presentation. In the past year he performed the lead role of Beowulf in Julie Taymor’s production of Grendel at the LA Opera. This year Richardson was also honored with the Alvin Ailey School’s first annual Apex award for his contribution to the field of dance.
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Hailed by the New York Times as “one of the great modern dancers of his time”, Desmond Richardson is a multi-talented artist who has mastered a wide range of dance forms including classical, modern, and contemporary. Richardson’s immense 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 International Academie des Tanz in Koln, Germany (1984-1985). He is also a recipient of a Presidential Scholar Award for the Arts (1986).