Lawrence Rhodes

Rhodes, Lawrence (b Mount Hope, W. Va., 24 Nov. 1939). US dancer and director. He studied at the Ballet Russe School and in 1958 joined Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo. Between 1960 and 1964 he danced with the Robert Joffrey Ballet where his strong technique and dramatic presence were showcased in ballets such as Arpino's Incubus and Macdonald's Time Out of Mind (1962). Between 1964 and 1970 he was principal dancer with Harkness Ballet becoming its artistic director in 1968. In 1970 he joined the Dutch National Ballet, creating the lead role in van Dantzig's On the Way, and in 1972 he joined the Pennsylvania Ballet where he remained until 1976, apart from a year spent with the Feld Ballet (1974-5) and extended guest appearances in Italy with Carla Fracci. In 1981 he was appointed Chairman of New York University School of Dance and in 1989 he became artistic director of Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. He left in 1999 and was succeeded by Gradimir Pankov.