Clark Tippet, Ballet Dancer, Award-Winning Choreographer

Clark Tippet's death from AIDS Tuesday (Jan. 28) will reverberate a long time in the dance world. He died at 37 at his family home town of Parsons, Kan.

He was an excellent dancer, performing top roles for the American Ballet Theater, partnering ballerinas such at Natalia Makarova, Gelsey Kirkland and Cynthia Gregory.

He also was a valued choreographer for ABT, Kansas City Ballet and, for the past few years, for Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Most of all, he was an artist of the first rank, one who had challenged the twin chimeras of too-early stardom and subsequent drug addiction, emerging strengthened both as a sensitive, demanding artist and as an honest, modest human being.

Mr. Tippet choreographed "Gigue" and "Chrysalis Regarding" for Pacific Northwest Ballet. He was working on a new piece for PNB when he died.

He chose Pacific Northwest Ballet as the first company outside ABT to work with because the dancers so impressed him.

Francia Russell, co-artistic director of PNB, said, "Clark Tippet was a brilliant artist and a beloved friend. With the help of family and friends he put up a prodigious fight against a terrible disease.

"He had started a third work for our company and the hope of being able to finish that work helped him and gave him strength in his battle. But in the end the disease defeated even his great spirit.

"If he had been able to complete the work (to Brahms' Violin or "Double" Concerto), it would have been presented by Pacific Northwest Ballet at the Kennedy Center (in Washington, D.C.) the day he died.

"Clark had the respect and love of the dancers and staff of PNB. We will miss him."

PNB dedicated last Wednesday night's show at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to Mr. Tippet's memory. The company also will dedicate some of its Seattle shows next week to the choreographer.

In an interview regarding "Gigue," Mr. Tippet said he used "the theme of being part of a group, then being outside the group on your own, then coming back to yourself and to the group again.

"It is for couples, and is pretty romantic, but just a little sad . . . It suggests a longing, as the dancers always end up by themselves."

That theme he knew well: His years with ABT were interrupted by emotional and drug problems.

But he said, "I've never been trying to do anything special, or have a theme, with my choreography. I'm only a principal dancer."

He joined ABT in 1972 and danced all the major male roles by age 23. He once said he thought it was not his talent but height and availability that placed him in parts he felt he didn't "deserve."

He began choreographing in 1986 and won an American Choreographer's Award in 1988.