IDENTIFICATION AND BIO:
An accomplished ballet dancer and choreographer, Paul Russell was born in Texas and trained at the School of American Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem School. He made his performing debut in 1970 with Hartford Ballet and joined DTH in 1971, leaving to train with Natalya Dudinskaya at the Kirov Ballet school. Subsequently he performed with the Scottish National Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, ultimately retiring on account of a hip injury. After that injury he began to choreograph, going on to become the artistic director of the American Festival Ballet of Boise (1988), a post he held until his death.
KEY CONTACT PERSON(S)/EXECUTOR OF ESTATE:
Survived by his companion, Randy Griffin, his father, and eight siblings
HUMAN REPOSITORIES OF THE WORK
(name and contact info, relationship to the artist and the work, assessment):
None identified.
VIDEO DOCUMENTATION
(location, format, condition, assessment):
None identified, though Russell's dancing is documented in videotapes housed at the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library.
PHOTOGRAPHIC DOCUMENTATION
(location, format, condition, assessment):
None identified.
MOVEMENT NOTATION
(location, type [including notes taken by dancers], assessment):
None identified.
PRODUCTION MATERIALS
(scores, sound recordings, set/costume designs):
None identified.
ORAL HISTORY:
None identified.
PERSONAL PAPERS
(location of newspaper clippings, printed programs, press releases, notes, files, diaries; assessment):
At the Dance Collection of the New York Public Library:
Russell, Paul [clippings]; call number MGZR.
IMMEDIATE NEEDS
(archival assistance? storage? other?):
Search for executor.
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION:
Russell is thought to be the first black dancer to perform Siegfried in a full-length version of Swan Lake.
LIST OR OVERVIEW OF WORKS
(title, premiere date, music, production notes, performers):
The following four works all premiered 15 August 1987 in a program titled, appropriately enough, "Premieres" at Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, California. These works were collaborations with the writer John T. Williams and featured three San Francisco Ballet dancers—Tracy-Kai Maier, Christopher Boatwright, and Antonio Lopez—as well as dancers from Alonzo King's Lines Ballet, including Russell.
Requiem d'Alyse
Nocturne
Ballet Egyptian
Five Variants
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
- Dance and Dancers. 1991. "Obituary" (April): 39-40, illus.
- Dance Magazine. 1991. "Obituaries: Paul Russell" (July): 28, 30.
- Dance/USA Journal. 1991. "Obituary: Paul Russell" (March/April): 27.
- Dancing Times. 1991. "Obituary: Paul Russell" (May): 766-67, illus.
- Dunning, Jennifer. 1991. "Paul Russell, 43 Leading Dancer for the Dance Theatre of Harlem." New York Times (19 February).
- English, Susan. 1989. "Paul Russell Leads Ballet in Idaho." Dance Magazine (October): 18, illus.
- Morris, Gay. 1987. "Dance: Russell's Ballets are Colorblind." San Francisco Examiner (4 August).
- Regan, Kate. 1987. "Dance: New Troupe Gets Off on the Right Foot." San Francisco Chronicle (17 August).
- Rosen, Lillie F. 1991. "In Memoriam, With Great Sorrow." Attitude 7 (3) (Spring/Summer): 22-23, illus.
- Sandler, Ken. 1981. "Blacks in ballet." Ballet News 2 (9) (March): 6. illus.
- ________. 1981. "Paul Russell of the San Francisco Ballet." Ballet News 3 (1) (July): 8, illus.
- Steinbrink, Mark. 1981. "Dream Factory." Ballet News. New York (February): 10-14, 45.
