Second Company @ Home: Episode 1

Tomm Ruud attended the University of Wyoming for one year and briefly studied modern dance.  When he transferred to the University of Utah’s Ballet Department, he came under the mentorship of William Christensen.  While in Christensen’s choreography class, Tomm developed his signature work Mobile, to music from Khatchaturian’s Gayane ballet.  He also studied men’s technique and partnering and eventually performed the role of Franz in Utah Civic Ballet’s Coppelia in 1966.  Tomm graduated with a BFA in ballet, immediately joining the Utah Civic Ballet and participated in tours throughout the American West and Europe.  He completed his MFA in 1970. Tomm continued to choreograph several works, including a commission from American Ballet Theater, with support from the National Endowment for the Art’s Choreographer Fellowship program.  In 1975, Tomm became a principal dancer with San Francisco Ballet in May 1975.  With San Francisco Ballet, Tomm continued to choreograph as a resident choreographer.  In 1981, a short film titled Balances was created based on his work Mobile. Tomm also performed roles choreographed by Michael Smuin and Lew Christensen, notably as Romeo in Smuin’s Romeo and Juliet, The Tempest, and others.  Tomm also contributed to the production of San Francisco Ballet’s Nutcracker as a coach and performed the role of Drosselmeyer with his son, Christopher.  Tomm eventually joined the artistic staff at San Francisco Ballet.

Christopher Ruud has been a part of the performing arts since birth. Growing up backstage at San Francisco Ballet he was immersed in the art of professional dance, performance, and stagecraft. Receiving the majority of his dance training at San Francisco Ballet School he began his performing career on the War Memorial Opera House stage at the age of 9. Mr. Ruud was hired into Ballet West in 1998. Quickly moving through the ranks, he was named Principal Dancer in 2004. He spent the last 21 years as an artist for Ballet West performing a huge range of classical and contemporary repertoire. Mr. Ruud is grateful to have seen sold out houses at home, all over the United States and internationally most notably in China, Cuba, New York and at the Kennedy Center receiving glowing reviews. In his time with the company, he has danced major roles in the great works of Balanchine, Kylián, Forsythe, Ashton, Tudor and Cranko to name a few. He has worked personally with some of the great names in the ballet world such as Sir Anthony Dowell, Cynthia Gregory, Hans Van Mannen and Bruce Marks. Mr. Ruud has seen success as a choreographer having his ballets performed in the Ballet West Innovations program and at the annual gala performance garnering such awards as a New York Choreographic Institute Fellowship as well as several NEA grants. He spent two years as the Director of Ballet West 2 teaching, coaching, and choreographing for a group of 10-12 young dancers, most of whom were hired into the main company. For the past seven years, Mr. Ruud has directed his own small company, RUUDDANCES, performing in the Annual Utah Arts Festival and touring to Jacobs Pillow.