Kevin Thomas

Les Grands Ballets Canadiens
Cleveland/San Jose Ballet: Soloist (1991-?)
Dance Theatre of Harlem: Principal (1995-2005)
Royal Ballet: Guest
Complexions Contemporary Ballet: Guest
Collage Dance Collective: Co-Founder and Artistic Director (2006-present)

Photo via Collage Dance Collective, uncredited.

Kevin Thomas was born in Trinidad and began dancing at Montreal’s École Supérieure de Ballet du Québec in 1980. He also trained at Banff School of the Arts and Jacob’s Pillow.

Thomas has danced with several major companies: Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Cleveland/San Jose Ballet, and the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Thomas’ repertory with DTH includes George Balanchine’s The Prodigal Son and The Four Temperaments, Glen Tetley’s Dialogues, John Butler’s Othello, John Alleyne’s Adrian (Angel on Earth), Michael Smuin’s A Song for Dead Warriors, Robert North’s Troy Game, Domy Reiter-Soffer’s Equus, and Geoffrey Holder’s Dougla. He performed in the DTH premieres of Vincent Sekwati Mantsoe’s Sasanka (1997) and Arthur Mitchell’s South African Suite (1998).

He has also made guest appearances with Complexions Contemporary Ballet, in the Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty pas de deux for their Chance to Dance program, and for Flemming Flindt and Peter Schaufuss’s company in Lucifer’s Datter.

While on a hiatus from DTH, Thomas created a series of pieces before forming his company Collage Dance Collective, of which he is now artistic director, with Marcellus Harper in 2006. After their premiere in Kansas City, Missouri, Collage moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 2007. The mission of the company is “to present more dancers of color on professional ballet stages and to grow audiences that include more people of color.” The company’s repertoire includes pieces from choreographers like Camille A. Brown, John Alleyne, and Frederick Ashton.

Collage Conservatory was established in 2009, hosts outreach programs, and awards full scholarships.

In addition to his career in artistic direction, Thomas has choreographed for Collage Dance Collective, the Flint Institute of Music, Hattiloo Repertory Theatre, New Ballet Ensemble, Opera Memphis, Orpheum Theatre, and University of Memphis.