RHODES, LAWRENCE

born Nov. 24, 1939, Mount Hope, W.Va., U.S. American premier dancer and ballet director. After performing with several companies, among them the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, Rhodes joined (in 1960) the Robert Joffrey Ballet, for which he created many leading roles, including The Acrobat (Incubus) and the male lead in Time Out of Mind. In 1964 Rhodes joined the Harkness Ballet, of which he was appointed director in 1969. He joined the Netherlands National Ballet in 1970 and the Pennsylvania Ballet in 1972; he appeared with the Eliot Feld Ballet in 1974, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens in 1977, and elsewhere. He formally retired from dancing in 1978 and turned to choreography.