Ricardo Rhodes

Joined The Sarasota Ballet in 2007, promoted to Soloist in 2010, and promoted to Principal in 2012.

Born: Boston, Massachusetts

Training: Boston Ballet

Favorite quote: – “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” ~Nelson Mandela

Favorite role: Apollo. Balanchine’s Apollo is a powerful and unique role, that has shown me another perspective of musicality and dance. It taught me so about myself. Apollo is a challenging role, where you never leave the stage, filled with jumps, turns, and partnering, requiring an immense amount of energy while keeping a certain poise required for the role. I remember having a calm energy while dancing and nothing else mattered. I genuinely loved sharing a piece of me with the audience and my peers. I felt vulnerable, yet secure.

Favorite costume: Oberon in Ashton’s The Dream. The Oberon costume is a blue green colored unitard with tassels along the shoulders and arms with wings attached from the wrist to the back. Oh and a crown! It’s such a beautiful male fairy costume, I felt long, elegant and powerful wearing it.

Fun fact: I am training to run the Boston Marathon.

Lead and featured roles include: Ashton’s Birthday Offering, The Dream, La Fille mal gardée, Jazz Calendar, Méditation from Thaïs, Monotones II, Les Rendezvous, Rhapsody, Scènes de ballet, Sinfonietta, Symphonic Variations, The Two Pigeons, Valses nobles et sentimentales, Varii Capricci; Balanchine’s Apollo, Bugaku, Diamonds, Divertimento No.15, Emeralds, The Four Temperaments, Rubies, Serenade, Stars and Stripes, Theme and Variations, Western Symphony, Who Cares?; Bintley’s A Comedy of Errors, ‘Still Life’ at the Penguin Café; Bruce’s Sergeant Early’s Dream; Darrell’s Othello; de Valois’ Checkmate; Fokine’s Les Sylphides; Kobborg’s La Sylphide, Salute; Lang’s Shades of Spring; Nijinsky’s L’Après-midi d’un Faune; North’s Troy Game; Nureyev’s Raymonda Act III; Robbins’ The Concert, Fancy Free; Taylor’s Brandenburgs; Tharp’s In The Upper Room, Nine Sinatra Songs; Tuckett’s Changing Light; Wheeldon’s The American, There Where She Loved; Wright’s Giselle, Summertide.