Richie Riley

Riley, Richie (b Jamaica, 10 Jan. 1910, d 8 Apr. 1997). Jamaican-British dancer and artist. He studied in Kingston then came to London for further training with Astafieva. In 1946 he founded Les Ballets Nègres, a company specializing in Afro-Caribbean dance dramas. It toured Europe with much success but disbanded in 1953 due to lack of funding. Riley went on to study art at the Slade. His life and work were reflected in the BBC documentary Ballet Black (1982).