Desmond Richardson

Richardson auditioned for the High School of the Performing Arts, where he trained in classical ballet technique and modern dance.

He also received a merit scholarship to the Internationale Akademie des Tanzes in Köln, Germany (1984-1985) and was the recipient of a Presidential Scholar Award for the Arts (1986) from YoungArts.

In his eight years with the company, Richardson danced works by José Limón, John Butler, Elisa Monte, Billy Wilson and many others.

[1] Aiding in the transformation of ballet from a predominately white form, Richardson performed many other lead roles to critical acclaim.

He has also appeared on Broadway in the musicals The Look of Love: The songs of Burt Bacharach, City Center Encores of "House of Flowers," Movin' Out, and most recently, the Tony-winning hit show After Midnight.

Richardson plays the role of Sammy, and "Fall To Rise" opposite Daphne Rubin-Vega, Katherine Crocker, and Tamara Tunie.