Biography :
Born in Cork, Ireland – and a USA Citizen, Richard d’Alton is a graduated Dancer and Teacher (with Diploma and Certification) of the National Ballet School of Cuba. He won a Bronze Medal and a Silver Medal, respectively; in the 1998 and 1999 International Ballet Competition’s in Havana, Cuba. In 2000 he joined the National Ballet of Cuba at the invitation of Prima Ballerina Assoluta, Alicia Alonso. Subsequently he joined the Orlando Ballet at the invitation of renowned dancer Fernando Bujones. As a Principal Artist he has danced roles including Basilio in Don Quixote, Franz in Coppelia, Albrecht in Giselle, Alain in La Fille Mal Gardee, Lucien in Paquita, Cavalier in The Nutcracker, George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Ben Stevenson’s Harlequinade, August Bournonville’s Flower Festival in Genzano, Le Corsaire, La Esmeralda, Merchant and the Slave, Flames of Paris, Minkus Pas de Trois, Le Talisman, La Vivandiere Pas de Six, and Grand Pas Classique. He has also danced contemporary works by choreographers including Glen Tetley, Robert North, Alberto Mendez, Antonio Gades, Alberto Alonso, Gustavo Herrera and Fernando Bujones, among many others. Mr. d’Alton was also elected to the position of ‘Dancer Representative’ for Orlando Ballet, where he worked closely with Mr. Bujones and the Executive Staff on all dancer-related issues. Mr. d’Alton began his teaching career in 2004, and his successes as an internationally recognized teacher are apparent through the accolades of his dancers. Aside from his dancers being offered contracts and trainee positions to companies around the world including Balet Sibiu (Romania), Sarasota Ballet, BalletMet Columbus, Louisville Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Balet du Printemps (Canada) Alberta Ballet and Ballet Austin among others, they have also represented the United States of America and been Finalists and prize winners as competitions including the 5th Nureyev IBC, 37th Prix de Lausanne (Switzerland), (Budapest), the 6th Helsinki IBC (Finland), Youth America Grand Prix (New York) and the IV, V, VI International Dance Competitions in Barcelona, Spain.
Mr. d’Alton’s students have been accepted to prestigious schools including the The Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School at American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet School (Summer Courses), La Scala Milan, Royal Ballet School (Covent Garden), the John Cranko Schule (Stuttgart, Germany), the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp, Académie Princess Grace – Monte Carlo, and Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, among many others, and they have received scholarships to schools such as the The Ailey School, Kirov Academy, and Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Ballet Theatre Schule Basel, among others. He is also a three-time recipient of Outstanding Choreographer at the Youth America Grand Prix and an Outstanding Choreographer winner at Jump, NYCDA, Nexstar, and Hall of Fame. In 2012 he staged a contemporary work for Teatrul de Balet Sibiu in Romania and two contemporary Pas de Deux for the 5th Sibiu International Ballet Competition.
From 2014 to 2018, Mr. d’Alton was named an Official Choreographer for the Certamen Internacional de Danza Competition in Barcelona,Spain. In 2015 he taught for the ‘Jurgita Dronina & Friends’Gala in Vilnius with Principal dancers from La Scala Milan (Nicoletta Manni), New York City Ballet (Ashley Bouder), The Royal Ballet, (Vadim Muntagirov) Norwegian National Ballet (Osiel Gouneo), and Canada’s National Ballet. In 2016 Mr. d’Alton taught for the International Dance Competition Gala in Barcelona, Spain with dancers from the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Aalto Ballett Essen, and the Romanian National Opera-Bucharest.
Mr. d’Alton has been honored to have been a Guest Teacher at some of the world’s leading ballet schools and companies including The Royal Ballet School (Covent Garden), Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Dresden Semperoper Ballet, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Teatrul de Balet Sibiu (Romania), the Wiener Stattsoper (Vienna State Opera Ballet School), Liceul de Coregrafie ‘Floria Capsali’ (Romania), and the Den Norske Opera Ballett (Norwegian National Ballet School) among many others. He has also given class at the English National Ballet School and the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp (Belgium). Since 2012, Mr. d’Alton has been a Guest Ballet Master with both the Lithuanian National Opera & Ballet Theatre and Czech National Ballet in Prague. He was the Artistic Director of International Ballet of Houston from 2006 to 2015. Since 2016 he has been a Competition Judge with Concurso Expression in Italy, and he has also judged for Dance World Cup Spain, Bucharest Dance Festival, and the Algarve Dance Open. Currently Mr. d’Altonis based in Porto, Portugal.