Ken Roberson (choreographer)

Last updated
Ken Roberson
Born
Kenneth L. Roberson

1956 (age 6667)
Occupation(s)Choreographer, dancer, professor, director
Known for Avenue Q

Kenneth L. Roberson (born 1956 in Thomson, Georgia) is an American choreographer and dancer best known for his work on Avenue Q .

Contents

Early life and career

Roberson was born in Thomson, Georgia. He was an undergraduate at the Henry Grady School of Journalism at the University of Georgia when he saw a local dance troupe performing and resolved to become a dancer. [1] In 1979, he graduated with a degree in journalism and got a job at the Athens Banner-Herald. He later quit his job for a chance to audition at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. [1] [2] He attended the school for two years before joining dance-pop group Fantasy. He studied tap dancing under Henry LeTang who told him about the upcoming Paris premiere of Black and Blue . He went on to make his Broadway debut in the musical's American version in 1989. [1] He danced in the 1990 revival of Oh, Kay! and in Jelly's Last Jam , a musical about the life of Jelly Roll Morton. In 1998 he did the musical staging for John Leguizamo's one-man play Freak . Ken also was nominated for an Emmy Award for best choreography for Mr. Lequizamo's sketch comedy series House of Buggin' for Fox TV. This led to a job choreographing the 2000 US tour of The Civil War . He choreographed the Off-Broadway and Broadway versions of Avenue Q. [3] In 2009 he choreographed Colman Domingo's one-man show A Boy and His Soul. [4] Kenneth is director of ETHEL written and performed by Terry Burrell.

He is Professor of Practice, Theatre, Drama and Contemporary Dance at Indiana University.[ citation needed ]

Work

Dancer

Choreographer

Film and television

Awards

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References

  1. 1 2 3 Jacobson, Erica. "How a Broadway Choreographer Danced His Way to Success". Washington Square News. Archived from the original on July 14, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  2. "Roberson Left Journalism For Broadway". Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. March 8, 2002. p. T5.
  3. Brown, Jennifer (June 1, 2012). "Long Runs on Broadway". Playbill . Retrieved June 13, 2012.
  4. Hernandez, Ernio (September 24, 2009). "Domingo Reveals A Boy and His Soul; which earn his second Lucille Lortel nomination for best choreography. His first nomination came along with a Drama Desk nomination for the critically George C. Wolfe's Harlem Song. Solo Show Opens Off-Broadway". Playbill. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved June 13, 2012.