miliosr Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 (edited) Lawrence Rhodes has died at the age of 79: https://www.pointemagazine.com/lawrence-rhodes-obituary-2633162941.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1 It's almost impossible to summarize his career as a dancer, company director and teacher but Pointe does an admirable job of it. Michael Avedon has posted this much reproduced photo of Rhodes from the 60s: Jesse Obremski of the Limon company has posted this tribute: Edited April 11, 2019 by miliosr Link to comment
miliosr Posted March 30, 2019 Author Share Posted March 30, 2019 (edited) My favorite photo of the original Harkness Ballet -- taken at the last performance in 1970: Lawrence Rhodes (who was then principal dancer and co-director with Ben Harkarvy in 1969-70) is at center right. (Future New York City Ballet principal and San Francisco Ballet artistic director Helgi Tomasson is at center left.) Edited March 30, 2019 by miliosr Link to comment
Drew Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 These are lovely tributes....may he rest in peace. Link to comment
miliosr Posted April 11, 2019 Author Share Posted April 11, 2019 Anna Kisselgoff has written an obituary of Lawrence Rhodes in the Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/obituaries/lawrence-rhodes-dead.html?login=email&auth=login-email I wasn't aware of the connection Rhodes had to Kevin McKenzie. Also, I don't know that Kisselgoff has it exactly right regarding the end of the original Harkness Ballet in 1970. Link to comment
ABT Fan Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 2 hours ago, miliosr said: I wasn't aware of the connection Rhodes had to Kevin McKenzie. I wasn't either. Nor, did I know that he regularly taught ABT company class. He was a legend, though. Link to comment
sandik Posted April 11, 2019 Share Posted April 11, 2019 7 hours ago, miliosr said: Anna Kisselgoff has written an obituary of Lawrence Rhodes in the Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/10/obituaries/lawrence-rhodes-dead.html?login=email&auth=login-email And this: "Dorothy Hild, another teacher, took him on a tour of state fairs in 1956." I would love to know what that was like. Link to comment
miliosr Posted April 13, 2019 Author Share Posted April 13, 2019 I consulted the miliosr library regarding the demise of the Harkness Ballet's first iteration in 1970. From the February 1975 issue of Dance Magazine, here is Lawrence Rhodes' take on it: Two events triggered the demise of the company. First, Mrs. Harkness began to have mixed feelings about Rhodes' choice of repertoire. Second, Mrs. Harkness had become involved with a smaller company which she had formed in New York, called The Harkness Youth Dancers. It would become the nucleus for a brand-new company. "Mrs. Harkness became disenchanted with us," Rhodes recalled. "We were in Monaco, when a telegram arrived, saying that Mrs. Harkness would fold the company in two months. That, by May, 1970, it would be all over. She then sent another telegram which included the names of sixteen dancers. There were offered contracts to enter her new company. I was not among them, nor was Lone Isaksen [miliosr note: Rhodes' future wife]. She wanted Helgi Tomasson, Dennis Wayne, Bonnie Mathis, among others. None of them accepted. They decided they'd rather do anything than stay with her. One corps girl in our company went with the new Harkness Ballet - and that was all! And so, the company folded, and to this day, I have neither seen nor spoken to Mrs. Harkness." Link to comment
Stage Right Posted April 15, 2019 Share Posted April 15, 2019 I am sorry to hear this news! I took some classes in NYC from Larry Rhodes back in the 1980s. I enjoyed them very much--he was enthusiastic, the classes very danceable indeed, and he gave attention and kind words to everyone. May he rest in peace. Link to comment
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