Robert Garland (Ballet Choreographer) was a principal dancer with the Dance Theatre of Harlem,and their first official Resident Choreographer, making dances for the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company, and their School Ensemble. He has also choreographed for the for New York City Ballet, The Royal Ballet, and the Oakland Ballet among many others.
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Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Robert Garland began his dance training with John Hines at the Philadelphia School for the Performing Arts in North Philadelphia. While there, he studied all forms of dance under the tutelage of a variety of instructors including John Hines, Marion Cuyjet, Morton Winston, and guest teachers from the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company, and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He also studied at The School for The Pennsylvania Ballet.
At fifteen years old, Robert joined the Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco), under the direction of Joan Meyers Brown, as its youngest member. During his tenure with the company, while still in high school, he worked with choreographers Billy Wilson, Talley Beatty and others. It was here that he received his first of George Balanchine’s neo-classical style, through works choreographed for Philadanco by founding members of New York City Ballet William Dollar and Roy Tobias.
Upon graduation from high school, he moved to New York City to attend The Juilliard School where he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts. Through a four-year scholarship, he studied with, and performed works by, choreographers Anthony Tudor, Paul Taylor, Jose Limon, Anna Sokolow Kazuko Hirabayashi Alfredo Corvino, and Hector Zaraspe. IT was during this time he also performed with Tina Ramirez’s Ballet Hispanico.
After graduation from Juilliard, he joined Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) as an apprentice. Under the tutelage of Arthur Mitchell, Dance Theatre of Harlem's Founder and Artistic Director, he rose through the ranks to become a Principal Dancer, featured in a wide variety of roles and repertory, including George Balanchine (Four Temperaments, Agon, Serenade, Allegro Brilliante), Jerome Robbins ( Opus Jazz, Fancy Free), Garth Fagan (Footprints Dressed in Red), Alvin Ailey (The River), Alonzo King (Signs and Wonders), and Billy Wilson (Concerto in F).
After creating a work for the Dance Theatre of Harlem School Ensemble, Arthur Mitchell invited Robert Garland to create a work for The Dance Theatre of Harlem Company. Upon his retirement from the stage, he was appointed by Arthur Mitchell to run the Dance Theatre of Harlem School, and also became the organization’s first Resident Choreographer.
He has set new and established works for New York City Ballet, Oakland Ballet, and others. He is the first black choreographer to create a work for The Royal Ballet of London. In London, Two of his works were chosen by the Telegraph Newspaper of London as one of the "Top Ten Dance Events" of the London Dance Season.
His commercial work has included music videos, commercials and short films, including the children’s television show Sesame Street, a Nike commercial, featuring New York Yankee Derek Jeter, the NAACP Image Awards, a short film for designer Donna Karan, and the “Charmin Cha-Cha” for Proctor and Gamble.
He is a recipient of the Building Brick Award from the New York Chapter of the National Urban League, and is a member of the historic Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem, where the Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, is Pastor. For the church he choreographed a tribute for Reverend Butts, a one-time only performance for Abyssinian’s White Tie Gala in November 2009, celebrating the church’s 200th Anniversary.
From 2004 to 2011, he was the Primary Instructor for the Kennedy Center – Dance Theatre of Harlem Residency Program in Washington D.C.
Recently he choreographed a work for Misty Copeland, performed by her and her partner Matthew Prescott, appearing at the Vail International Dance Festival, and the Gala of Stars in Cincinnati Ohio.
He has also taught the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Company and Ailey II, and is currently creating a work for the sophomores of the Alvin Ailey\Fordham University Program.
Robert Garland has two sisters. One, Lana Garland, is a film writer and producer, and Robin Kim Garland Bandura, a physical therapist.