Lawrence Pech
Encyclopedia
Lawrence Pech is a dancer, choreographer and teacher currently living and working in the San Francisco Bay Area
. He is the founder and co-artistic director of the Lawrence Pech Dance Company.
training in piano and voice. His first choreographic effort was in the fourth grade, to the Beatles’ "Something
..." He began studying ballet at age 14 with the Colorado Concert Ballet. At 16, he won First Prize in the Colorado Council on the Arts
Choreography Competition with a piece set to Pink Floyd
's "Have a Cigar". The following year (1977), he received full scholarships to the Joffrey Ballet
and American Ballet Theatre
schools, the School of American Ballet (New York City Ballet
), and Mudra (Maurice Béjart
's Ballet of the 20th century in Brussels).
. For the next seven years, he worked with and was choreographed upon by such masters as George Balanchine
, Martha Graham
, Antony Tudor
, Agnes de Mille
, Jerome Robbins
(touring with him to the Spoleto
Festival in 1982), Twyla Tharp
, Paul Taylor, Jiri Kylian
, Karole Armitage
, David Gordon, Eric Bruhn, Natalia Makarova
, Mark Morris
, and others. He danced opposite such greats as Mr. Baryshnikov, Ms. Makarova, Ivan Nagy, Cynthia Gregory
, Fernando Bujones
, Gelsey Kirkland
, Cynthia Harvey, Martine Van Hamel, Kevin McKenzie, and others. He appeared in numerous Live from Lincoln Center
telecasts, and figured prominently with Baryshnikov in the movie Dancer and the Dance (BBC
).
, where he was promoted to Principal dancer
in 1990. There, he was choreographed upon by James Kudelka
, David Bintley
, Val Caniparoli, Mr. Tomasson, and Lisa deRibere, as well performing principal roles in ballets by Balanchine and others. In 1991, Pech was the subject of a KQED-TV special entitled "Blue Lair", a ballet about his victory over cancer. It was awarded a 1991 Emmy Award
for Best Choreography. In 1993, he became co-founder and Artistic Director of the Diablo Ballet, a position from which he resigned in 1995.
's Summer Arts Series, The Neptune Society at the Columbarium of San Francisco
, and the California Institute of the Arts
Summer Program (Valencia). He earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
. He has written seven musical scores, including a three-movement piano suite, a song cycle for 16 a capella voices, and various chamber works. He has choreographed and performed in numerous musicals around the San Francisco Bay Area (such as Mountain Play
's Oklahoma!
, which garnered him the Bay Area Theater Critics' Circle Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical as Will Parker and Best Choreography, 1992). He continues to choreograph for the Belasco Children's Theater, and teaches ongoing master classes for Pacific Ballet Academy, the San Francisco Dance Center, and other companies throughout the U.S.
San Francisco Bay Area
The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a populated region that surrounds the San Francisco and San Pablo estuaries in Northern California. The region encompasses metropolitan areas of San Francisco, Oakland, and San Jose, along with smaller urban and rural areas...
. He is the founder and co-artistic director of the Lawrence Pech Dance Company.
Early years
Pech was born in 1959 in Denver. He received his early classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
training in piano and voice. His first choreographic effort was in the fourth grade, to the Beatles’ "Something
Something
"Something" is a song by The Beatles, written by lead guitarist George Harrison in 1969. It was featured on the album Abbey Road, and was also the first song written by Harrison to appear on the A-side of a Beatles' single...
..." He began studying ballet at age 14 with the Colorado Concert Ballet. At 16, he won First Prize in the Colorado Council on the Arts
Colorado Council on the Arts
The Colorado Council on the Arts is an agency of the state government of Colorado, responsible for the promotion of the arts. Its budget combines state funds with federal funds from the National Endowment for the Arts. Its offices are located in Denver. As of September, 2006, the current director...
Choreography Competition with a piece set to Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd were an English rock band that achieved worldwide success with their progressive and psychedelic rock music. Their work is marked by the use of philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album art, and elaborate live shows. Pink Floyd are one of the most commercially...
's "Have a Cigar". The following year (1977), he received full scholarships to the Joffrey Ballet
Joffrey Ballet
The Joffrey Ballet is a dance company in Chicago, Illinois, founded in 1956. From 1995 to 2004, the company was known as The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. The company regularly performs classical ballets including Romeo & Juliet and The Nutcracker, while balancing those classics with pioneering modern...
and American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre
American Ballet Theatre , based in New York City, was one of the foremost ballet companies of the 20th century. It continues as a leading dance company in the world today...
schools, the School of American Ballet (New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet
New York City Ballet is a ballet company founded in 1948 by choreographer George Balanchine and Lincoln Kirstein. Leon Barzin was the company's first music director. Balanchine and Jerome Robbins are considered the founding choreographers of the company...
), and Mudra (Maurice Béjart
Maurice Béjart
Maurice Béjart was a French born, Swiss choreographer who ran the Béjart Ballet Lausanne in Switzerland. He was the son of the French philosopher Gaston Berger.- Biography :...
's Ballet of the 20th century in Brussels).
New York, early 1980s
Pech accepted a contract from ABT in 1980 directly from the artistic director, Mikhail BaryshnikovMikhail Baryshnikov
Mikhail Nikolaevich Baryshnikov is a Soviet and American dancer, choreographer, and actor, often cited alongside Vaslav Nijinsky and Rudolf Nureyev as one of the greatest ballet dancers of the 20th century. After a promising start in the Kirov Ballet in Leningrad, he defected to Canada in 1974...
. For the next seven years, he worked with and was choreographed upon by such masters as George Balanchine
George Balanchine
George Balanchine , born Giorgi Balanchivadze in Saint Petersburg, Russia, to a Georgian father and a Russian mother, was one of the 20th century's most famous choreographers, a developer of ballet in the United States, co-founder and balletmaster of New York City Ballet...
, Martha Graham
Martha Graham
Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Picasso had on modern visual arts, Stravinsky had on music, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture.She danced and choreographed for over seventy years...
, Antony Tudor
Antony Tudor
Antony Tudor was an English ballet choreographer, teacher and dancer.-Biography:Tudor, born William Cook, discovered dance accidentally. He began dancing professionally with Marie Rambert in 1928, becoming general assistant for her Ballet Club the next year...
, Agnes de Mille
Agnes de Mille
Agnes George de Mille was an American dancer and choreographer.-Early years:Agnes de Mille was born in New York City into a well-connected family of theater professionals. Her father William C. deMille and her uncle Cecil B. DeMille were both Hollywood directors...
, Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins
Jerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
(touring with him to the Spoleto
Spoleto
Spoleto is an ancient city in the Italian province of Perugia in east central Umbria on a foothill of the Apennines. It is S. of Trevi, N. of Terni, SE of Perugia; SE of Florence; and N of Rome.-History:...
Festival in 1982), Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp
Twyla Tharp is an American dancer and choreographer, who lives and works in New York City.-Early years:Tharp was born in 1941 on a farm in Portland, Indiana, and was named after Twila Thornburg, the "Pig Princess" of the 89th Annual Muncie Fair in Indiana.she spend hours working on it to help her...
, Paul Taylor, Jiri Kylian
Jiří Kylián
Jiří Kylián is a Czech dance choreographer.Kylián studied in Prague and, at the age of 20, won a scholarship at the Royal Ballet School in London. He joined the Stuttgart Ballet in 1968 and worked under John Cranko, where he began to choreograph. Kylián became Artistic Director of Nederlands Dans...
, Karole Armitage
Karole Armitage
Karole Armitage is an American dancer and choreographer currently based in New York City. She is Artistic Director of Armitage Gone! Dance, a contemporary ballet company that performs several times annually in New York City as well as touring internationally...
, David Gordon, Eric Bruhn, Natalia Makarova
Natalia Makarova
Nataliya Romanovna Makarova is the legendary Soviet-Russian-born prima ballerina. The History of Dance, published in 1981, notes that “Her performances set standards of artistry and aristocracy of dance which mark her as the finest ballerina of her generation.” She has also won awards as an...
, Mark Morris
Mark Morris
Mark William Morris is an American dancer, choreographer and director whose work is acclaimed for its craftsmanship, ingenuity, humor, and at times eclectic musical accompaniments...
, and others. He danced opposite such greats as Mr. Baryshnikov, Ms. Makarova, Ivan Nagy, Cynthia Gregory
Cynthia Gregory
Cynthia Kathleen Gregory is an American ballerina.-Career:Born in Los Angeles, Gregory’s parents encouraged her to take up dancing when she was five, hoping exercise would stem a history of childhood illnesses. By age six, she was en pointe...
, Fernando Bujones
Fernando Bujones
Fernando Bujones was an American ballet dancer.Born in Miami, Florida to Cuban parents, Bujones is regarded as one of the finest male dancers of the 20th century and hailed as one of the greatest American male dancers of his generation.Bujones' first formal ballet classes were in Alicia Alonso's...
, Gelsey Kirkland
Gelsey Kirkland
Gelsey Kirkland is an American ballerina. Kirkland joined the New York City Ballet in 1968 at age fifteen, at the invitation of George Balanchine. She was promoted to soloist in 1969 and principal in 1972...
, Cynthia Harvey, Martine Van Hamel, Kevin McKenzie, and others. He appeared in numerous Live from Lincoln Center
Live from Lincoln Center
Live From Lincoln Center is an ongoing series of musical performances produced by Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in conjunction with Thirteen/WNET in New York City....
telecasts, and figured prominently with Baryshnikov in the movie Dancer and the Dance (BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
).
The move to San Francisco
In 1986, Helgi Tomasson invited Pech to join the San Francisco BalletSan Francisco Ballet
The San Francisco Ballet is a ballet company, founded in 1933 as the San Francisco Opera Ballet. The company is currently based in the War Memorial Opera House, San Francisco, under the direction of Helgi Tomasson. SFB is the first professional ballet company in the United States...
, where he was promoted to Principal dancer
Principal dancer
A principal dancer is a dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company....
in 1990. There, he was choreographed upon by James Kudelka
James Kudelka
James Kudelka, OC, , is a choreographer, dancer, and director. He was the artistic director for the National Ballet of Canada from 1996 to 2005, now serving as the National Ballet's artist in residence....
, David Bintley
David Bintley
David Bintley, CBE, is a former English ballet dancer, the current artistic director of the Birmingham Royal Ballet and co-artistic director of the New National Theatre Tokyo ballet company.- About :...
, Val Caniparoli, Mr. Tomasson, and Lisa deRibere, as well performing principal roles in ballets by Balanchine and others. In 1991, Pech was the subject of a KQED-TV special entitled "Blue Lair", a ballet about his victory over cancer. It was awarded a 1991 Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Best Choreography. In 1993, he became co-founder and Artistic Director of the Diablo Ballet, a position from which he resigned in 1995.
Other associations
Pech has produced, directed and performed in three separate programs of original creations for The Florence Gould Theater at the California Palace of the Legion of HonorCalifornia Palace of the Legion of Honor
The California Palace of the Legion of Honor is a fine art museum in San Francisco, California...
's Summer Arts Series, The Neptune Society at the Columbarium of San Francisco
Columbarium of San Francisco
The Neptune Society Columbarium of San Francisco is a repository for human ashes owned and operated by the Neptune Society of Northern California, at One Loraine Court, near Stanyan and Anza Streets, just north of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. Built in 1898 by architect Bernard...
, and the California Institute of the Arts
California Institute of the Arts
The California Institute of the Arts, commonly referred to as CalArts, is located in Valencia, in Los Angeles County, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the United States created specifically for students of both the visual and the...
Summer Program (Valencia). He earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Composition from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, formerly the California Conservatory of Music, founded in 1917, is a music school, with an enrollment of about 400 students. It was launched by Ada Clement and Lillian Hodgehead in the remodeled home of Lillian's parents on Sacramento Street. It was called the...
. He has written seven musical scores, including a three-movement piano suite, a song cycle for 16 a capella voices, and various chamber works. He has choreographed and performed in numerous musicals around the San Francisco Bay Area (such as Mountain Play
Mountain Play
The Mountain Play Association is a 5013 organization responsible for the production of theatrical events at the Sidney B. Cushing Amphitheatre on Mount Tamalpais in Marin County, California. The stone amphitheatre, named for the owner of the railroad company which constructed the Mount Tamalpais...
's Oklahoma!
Oklahoma!
Oklahoma! is the first musical written by composer Richard Rodgers and librettist Oscar Hammerstein II. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, Green Grow the Lilacs. Set in Oklahoma Territory outside the town of Claremore in 1906, it tells the story of cowboy Curly McLain and his romance...
, which garnered him the Bay Area Theater Critics' Circle Awards for Best Supporting Actor in a Musical as Will Parker and Best Choreography, 1992). He continues to choreograph for the Belasco Children's Theater, and teaches ongoing master classes for Pacific Ballet Academy, the San Francisco Dance Center, and other companies throughout the U.S.