- He founded (along with the late Karel Shook) the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1969.
- He is a dancer and choreographer.
- He was awarded the American National Medal of the Arts in 1995 by the National Endowment of the Arts in Washington D.C.
- When he was hired by choreographer George Balanchine in 1955 to join the New York City Ballet, he was one of the first black dancers in a major American ballet company. He made his debut with the company in 1955 in "Western Symphony"; two years later he was the lead male dancer in "Agon".
- He was the oldest of five siblings; their father was a janitor. When he was a teenager, a school guidance counselor saw him do the jitterbug and encouraged him to apply to New York's prestigious High School of Performing Arts. He auditioned with a Fred Astaire-inspired tap routine and was accepted. After he graduated, he turned down a scholarship to Bennington College's respected modern-dance program, and attended the School of American Ballet.
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