American ballet dancer
Richard Cragun (5 October 1944 – 6 August 2012) was an American ballet dancer, teacher and ballet director who performed with the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany from 1965 to 1996.
Cragun has been called a "prince of the ballet world" and "one of the most important dancers of the twentieth century."
Early life and training.
Born in Sacramento, California, Cragun was one three sons. His father was a college librarian As a child, he was very interested in both music and dance. At age five, he began taking tap dance lessons .
A few years later, Cragun decided to become a professional dancer after his father took him to see "Singin' in the Rain" (1952). Donald O'Connor, one of the stars of the film, became Cragun's "first, absolute idol." Inspired to emulate O'Connor's lyrical, balletic style of tap dancing, Cragun took ballet classes
As a teenager, Cragun received a scholarship to the Banff School of Fine Arts in Banff, Alberta. He studied there with Betty Farraly and Gweneth Lloyd. When Alexander Grant, was visiting Banff, he was impressed by Cragun's skills. He suggested Cragun apply to the Royal Ballet School in London.
Cragun spent one year at the Royal Ballet school, working with Errol Addison and Harold Turner. At age 17, Cragun went to Copenhagen, Denmark, to privately train with Vera Volkova, who was responsible for polishing his remarkable classical technique.
Performing career.
In 1962, Volkova recommended Cragun to John Cranko, director of the Stuttgart Ballet. Cranko hired him sight unseen, as a member of his "corps de ballet".
In 1965, soon after his appointment as principal dancer in Stuttgart, he began his dance partnership with Marcia Haydée. Cragun and Haydée performed "Swan Lake," "Onegin" and "The Taming of the Shrew". Their professional partnership at the Stuttgart Ballet lasted from 1965 until Cragun's retirement in 1996.
Besides his appearances with leading companies in Germany, Cragun danced in Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, England, Sweden, Italy, Canada, the United States, and Japan. In 1990, during the Stuttgart revival of the Broadway musical "On Your Toes", Cragun exhibited his tap dancing skills.
Critical notices.
Cragun was described as a big, handsome man, with a powerful physique who danced with dazzling virtuosity and distinct virility, a perfect foil for the brilliant technique and delicate femininity of Haydée. Another description said that Cragun was blessed with a perfect physique for dancing, Cragun was a virtuoso of the ballet stage, equaled by only a few male dancers of his generation. He embodied the explosive, colorful form of classical ballet that was sometimes called "the Stuttgart style." Flawless triple "tours en l'air" were his trademark, an athletic feat accomplished only by such bravura dancers as Edward Villella and Mikhail Baryshnikov on rare occasions.
Clive Barnes, dance critic for "The New York Times", wrote, "He possesses tremendous elevation. There is a cumulative pulse and rhythmic beat to his dancing that is enormously impressive." He won high praise for his performances in principal roles in Cranko's "Romeo und Julia", "Onegin", and, especially, "The Taming of the Shrew". "Cragun was a strikingly handsome Petruchio, by turns self-mocking, overbearing, funny, and tender. The role suited his robustly masculine and charismatic stage personality and provided a first-class showcase for his virtuosity and partnering skills. No dancer has equaled him in the role."
Roles created.
In the course of his long career, Cragun created many roles in the ballets of John Cranko and other European choreographers. Among them are the following.
Personal life.
Cragun and Haydée shared a romantic relationship and lived together for 16 years. The relationship broke up in 1977 when Cragun realized that he was a gay man. However the two remained friends and colleagues. Haydée bore him no resentment. "Richard was one of the best dancers in the world", she said. "Even after our separation, we were the best of friends."
In later years, Cragun entered a relationship with Brazilian choreographer Roberto de Oliveira that lasted until Cragun's death.
Later life.
In his later years with the Stuttgart Ballet, Cragun became one of the company's ballet masters . After finishing his dancing career, he became the ballet director of the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. In 1999, after three unhappy years at the Deutsche Oper, he left the position.
With Haydée's encouragement, Cragun and de Oliveira moved to Brazil, where they launched DeAnima Ballet Contemporáneo for youngsters from the black favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Cragun also became ballet director at the city's Teatro Municipal, where, he managed a company of 70 dancers and staged works from the Stuttgart repertory. A talented cartoonist, Cragun also mounted several exhibitions of his work in art galleries and other venues in the city.
In 2005, Cragun suffered a stroke. His poor health was compounded by having HIV/AIDS. On 6 August 2012, Cragun suffered a seizure triggered by a lung infection. He was admitted to a hospital in Rio de Janeiro, where he died soon after.
A friend gave this report of Cragun's funeral: "The most moving moment at yesterday's cremation ceremony in Rio came when the flower-covered coffin began to move away, and Richard's friends and admirers, led by Marcia Haydée, stood, applauded, and cried out 'Bravo', as they had so many times at the end of his magnificent performances. It was a spontaneous and appropriate ovation and send-off. Richard deserved no less."
References.
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