Ralph Perkins

Assistant Professor of Dance & Music Theatre

Email: rperkins@hartford.edu

Biography: Ralph Perkins has choreographed professionally at several regional theaters across the country, as well as in Las Vegas. Among his credits are a revival of Sweet Charity for The Barrington Stage Company and 1776 for Goodspeed Musicals. Ralph has received two Kevin Kline Award nominations for outstanding choreography for his work on Urinetown, The Musical and Kiss Me Kate, both shows produced at The Repertory Theater of St. Louis.

Residing and working in Las Vegas, Nevada for many years, Ralph was choreographer for EFX starring Tommy Tune at the MGM Grand, Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur and he also worked with Siegfried and Roy at The Mirage, to name a few. For several years, Ralph choreographed for the annual Golden Rainbow Aids Benefit in Las Vegas. His work The Wall received the Toddy Award for best production number, an award voted by the Las Vegas entertainment community. Ralph also served as artistic director for Golden Rainbow in 1995. That same year he founded The New Works Project Ltd., a contemporary dance company based in Las Vegas. He served as artistic director for NWP during its five years of active existence and created over forty contemporary dance works for the company.

Originally from North Carolina, Ralph was a national dance semi-finalist for the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts. He obtained his BFA in dance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.

Ralph performed professionally with many diverse companies, such as Walt Disney World, Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Metropolitan Ballet and MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Working under stage, television, and movie personas such as Tommy Tune, Michael Crawford, David Cassidy, magician Lisa Menna and Melinda, the First Lady of Magic, he honed his choreographic skills and has molded a unique style combining ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, ethnic and period movement, and even magic.

Ralph has received an artist fellowship award from the Nevada State Council on the Arts for artistic achievement. He has served as guest artist to the Universities of Nevada Las Vegas and Reno and helped found the dance program at the Las Vegas Performing Arts Academy.

In 2002 Ralph relocated to West Hartford, CT to become director of dance for the theater division at The Hartt School at the University of Hartford. Known for his versatility as a choreographer and teacher, Ralph has choreographed numerous full-scale musicals for The Hartt School, The Monomoy Theater in Chatham, Cape Cod and Spring Mountain Ranch in Las Vegas.

Visit Ralph's website.