Richard Witter
Dance Theatre of Harlem
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Royal Ballet: Guest
Richard Witter was a member of both the Dance Theatre of Harlem and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
In 1991, Witter performed as a guest artist with the Royal Ballet in their attempt to “diversify” the company.
Witter was part of the original DTH casts of Billy Wilson’s Ginastera (1991) and Glen Tetley’s Dialogues (1991). His additional repertory with DTH included Billy Wilson’s Mirage and John Taras’ Firebird, among others.
Witter appeared in the filmed version of Dance Theatre of Harlem: Fall River Legend (1989).
His repertory with Alvin Ailey included Lar Lubovitch’s Fandango; Alvin Ailey’s Pas de Duke, The River, and Revelations; Geoffrey Holder’s The Prodigal Prince; Donald Byrd’s Fin de Siecle; and Bill T. Jones’ Fever Swamp, among others.
In 2001, Backstage writer Jennie Schulman praised Witter’s “stunning technique,” and in 1999, Clive Barnes called Witter’s performance in Ailey’s Memoria “commanding and triumphant.”
Sources:
Richard Witter, IMDB
Dance Theatre of Harlem Repertory List, Columbia University Libraries
Celebrating Ailey and EllingtonFree Fridays at Noon Complexions to Perform Rosa Mei Dance in World Premiere, Backstage
Hailing All-Ailey Program’s Versatility, New York Post
Black British Ballet: Race, Representation and Aesthetics, Sandie Mae Bourne
Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell and Richard Witter in Lar Lubovitchs [sic] Fandango circa 1995. Photo by Roy Volkmann, Ailey Pressroom
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