1954—1992
Clark Tippet began studying ballet when he was five years old. By the time he was 11, he had moved from Parsons, Kansas, where he was born to New York City. At age 18, he became a soloist for ABT and was promoted to Principal Dancer three years later.
Known for his versatility, strong dramatic presences, and theatricality, Tippet performed everything from Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake to Oedipus in Glen Tetley’s Sphinx, Carabosse in The Sleeping Beauty, Albrecht in Giselle, and leading roles in The Leaves Are Fading and Voluntaries.
Tippet began a second career in 1986, choreographing Enough Said for ABT. Four more works followed, including Bruch Violin Concerto No. 1, which, described by one critic as an “inspired, 26-minute tour de force,” was “thunderously received at its world premiere.” The New York Times declared him one of the most promising ballet choreographers of his generation.
He received an Excellence of Achievement award from the General Electric Foundation and an American Choreographer Award, both in 1988. He also received an award from the National Endowment for the Arts in 1990-91.