Education
BFA, Southern Methodist University
Ralph Perkins has choreographed for several regional theaters across the country, as well as Las Vegas venues. Among his credits are La Cage Aux Folles (CT critics circle nominee), Camelot and 1776 for Goodspeed musicals; South Pacific for The Asolo Repertory Theater and Papermill Playhouse; The Wizard of OZ, South Pacific, The King and I, Gypsy, Sweeny Todd, Hello Dolly! (nominated for best choreography St. Louis Critics Circle Awards) as well as a specialty choreographer for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway for The Muny in St. Louis; and Sweet Charity for The Barrington Stage Company. Ralph also choreographed Follies (St. Louis Critics’ Awards best musical and nominee) and Sunday in the Park with George (winner of the "Louie" Award for best musical) for The Repertory Theater of St. Louis, as well as Urinetown, the musical and Kiss Me Kate in which he received Kevin Kline Award nominations for outstanding choreography.
Residing and working in Las Vegas, Nevada for many years, Ralph was choreographer for EFX starring Tommy Tune at the MGM Grand, Tournament of Kings at the Excalibur and he also worked with Siegfried and Roy at The Mirage, to name a few. For several years, Ralph choreographed for the annual Golden Rainbow Aids Benefit in Las Vegas. His work The Wall received the Toddy Award for best production number, an award voted by the Las Vegas entertainment community. Ralph also served as artistic director for Golden Rainbow in 1995. That same year he founded The New Works Project Ltd., a contemporary dance company based in Las Vegas. He served as artistic director for NWP during its five years of active existence and created over forty contemporary dance works for the company.
Originally from North Carolina, Ralph was a national dance semi-finalist for the National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts. He obtained his BFA in dance from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas.
Ralph performed professionally with many diverse companies, such as Walt Disney World, Dallas Opera, Houston Grand Opera, Dallas Metropolitan Ballet and MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Working under stage, television, music and movie personas such as Tommy Tune, Michael Crawford, David Cassidy, Rick Springfield, Marilyn Maye, Siegried and Roy he honed his choreographic skills and has molded a unique style combining ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, ethnic and period movement, and even magic.
Ralph has received an artist fellowship award from the Nevada State Council on the Arts for artistic achievement. He has served as guest artist to Houston School of Performing and Visual Arts, the Universities of Nevada Las Vegas and Reno and helped found the dance program at the Las Vegas Performing Arts Academy.
In 2002 Ralph relocated to West Hartford, CT to become director of dance for the theatre division at the Hartt School at the University of Hartford. Ralph is also on the adjunct faculty of the Hartt School dance division teaching the Martha Graham Technique and has assisted on restaging several of her works on the students. Known for his versatility as a choreographer and teacher, Ralph has also choreographed numerous full-scale musicals, plays as well as dance works for The Hartt School, the Monomoy Theater in Chatham, Cape Cod, Spring Mountain Ranch in Las Vegas and New London Barn Theater in New Hampshire. Ralph spent two summers teaching and choreographing in Italy for the Trentino Music Festival and is continuing his career working with professional regional theatres.
You can see Ralph in his starring role as Pete Mercury in the comedy movie Dance Dads.