Desmond Richardson is a dancer, co-founder and co-artistic director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He has mastered a wide range of dance forms including classical, modern, contemporary ballet and jazz making him one of the most recognized performers of his generation.
World Festival of Black Art – Desmond Richardson Dancing Lament Choreography by Dwight Rhoden
Precious Blood– 2007 Complexions premier, performed by Carmen de Lavallade and Desmond Richardson at the Joyce Theater
Richardson’s talent was first recognized as a student at New York High School for the Performing Arts. He received a merit scholarship from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center (1983-1986) and the Internationale Akademie des Tanzes in Koln, Germany (1984-1985). In 1986 Richardson was the 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 performed with Ballet Frankfurt, and was a guest artist with several world-renowned companies including the Swedish Opera Ballet, Washington Ballet, Teatro at La Scala, and San Francisco Ballet.
In 1997, he joined American Ballet Theatre where he performed the lead role in the company’s world premiere production of Lar Lubovitch’s Othello. In 1998, Richardson joined the premiere cast of the Broadway musical Fosse and 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.