Ralph Lemon African American dancer, choreographer, company director, writer and artist Date of Birth: 01.08.1952 Country: USA

Biography of Ralph Lemon

Ralph Lemon, an African American dancer, choreographer, director, writer, and artist, is known as a conceptualist, representing the avant-garde movement of conceptual art. Growing up in a religious environment, Lemon developed his artistic abilities from a young age. Initially using painting as a form of expression, he later discovered that movement could also be a physical means of expression.

Born on August 1, 1952, in Cincinnati, Ohio, Lemon was raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He currently resides and works in New York City. Lemon studied literature and theater arts at the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1975. Following his graduation, Lemon continued his training with actress Nancy Hauser, who eventually invited him to join her theater company. In 1976, Lemon became one of the founders of the Mixed Blood Theater Company in Minneapolis.

He later moved to New York, where he danced and collaborated with Meredith Monk and her troupe. Shortly after leaving Monk's company in 1985, Lemon established his own dance company, the Ralph Lemon Dance Company. Throughout his career, Lemon has worked with renowned collectives such as Limón Dance Company, Alvin Ailey's Repertory Ensemble, Geneva Opera Ballet, Jacob's Pillow Dance Ensemble, and Lyons Opera Ballet. Lemon also participated in a documentary film alongside choreographer Bebe Miller.

Known for his collaborations with various artists and musicians, Lemon has received numerous awards for his choreography. He is a member of the National Endowment for the Arts and was honored with the American Choreographers Award and the Bessie Award in 1987.

After a decade of successful performances, Lemon made the decision to disband his dance company for various reasons, ranging from financial to personal. In 2005, he completed a project titled the Geography Trilogy, which spanned ten years and involved numerous collaborative efforts. The trilogy aimed to draw attention to social and political issues through choreography, exploring the collision of cultures and the search for personal and artistic authenticity.

Lemon also wrote and published two books, Geography: Art, Race, Exile, and Tree: Belief, Culture, Balance, which corresponded with the dance project. The third part of the trilogy, Come Home Charley Patton, is not a book. Both parts of the Geography series expressed emotional conflicts, spiritual connections, and cultural contradictions, leading to collaboration and experience. The goal of the trilogy is to understand the history of different cultures and civilizations through artistic creations from three continents: Africa, Asia, and America.

Lemon embarked on his project by traveling to previously unknown countries, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire, where he kept a diary that helped him gain an understanding of people with diverse skin colors. He then journeyed to Asia to explore Eastern culture through the lens of Buddhism, concluding the trilogy with a return to the United States.

Lemon's success can be attributed to his unique ability to express dramatic and emotional content through movement, constantly incorporating new artistic forms. Currently, he serves as the artistic director of Cross Performance Inc. in New York City.