Tomm Ruud (1944 - February 28, 1994)

Tomm Ruud was a San Francisco Ballet principal dancer, best known for his role as Drosselmeyer in "The Nutcracker." Ruud died on February 28, 1994, at his home of AIDS-related illnesses. He was 50 years old. (Picture: Evelyn Cisneros & Tomm Ruud Ballet original)

After 10 years with William Christensen's Ballet West in Salt Lake City, Ruud joined the San Francisco Ballet in 1975. In the 1986-87 season, he was made a principal character dancer.

Ruud was born in Pasadena and raised in Afton, Wyo. He received bachelor's and master's degrees in dance from the University of Utah.

He also made guest appearances with national and international ballet companies and dance festivals, including the National Ballet of Canada, the Ninth International Ballet Festival in Havana, the Pacific Northwest Ballet and the Oakland Ballet.

In 1983, Ruud danced the balcony scene from "Romeo and Juliet" and the pas de deux from "La Fille Mal Gardee" for a "Magic of Dance" program with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl.

Ruud also choreographed several works that are in the San Francisco Ballet's repertoire, including "Mobile," "Metamorphoses," "Trilogy," "Introduction and Allegro," "Richmond Diary" and "Step for Two."

A short subject film, "Balances," released in 1981, is based on his best-known ballet, "Mobile."


Tomm Rudd and Vane Vest Ballet Shirtless


Tomm Rudd and Vane Vest Ballet Shirtless


1984 Tomm Ruud Jacobs Pillow Dance Festival Ohio Ballet Press Photo



Kathryn Hein, Trevor Naumann and Kathleen Martin in Tomm Ruud's MOBILE


1981 San Francisco Ballet Dancers Evelyn Cisneros & Tomm Ruud Press Photo


Tomm Rudd, Mark Mulleian and Casey Donovan

Source: http://articles.latimes.com/1994-03-03/news/mn-29292_1_san-francisco-ballet

Further Readings:

Beyond Shame: Reclaiming the Abandoned History of Radical Gay Sexuality by Patrick Moore
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Beacon Press (January 14, 2004)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 080707957X
ISBN-13: 978-0807079577
Amazon: Beyond Shame: Reclaiming the Abandoned History of Radical Gay Sexuality

The radical sexuality of gay American men in the 1970s is often seen as a shameful period of excess that led to the AIDS crisis. Beyond Shame claims that when the gay community divorced itself from this allegedly tainted legacy, the tragic result was an intergenerational disconnect because the original participants were unable to pass on a sense of pride and identity to younger generations. Indeed, one reason for the current rise in HIV, Moore argues, is precisely due to this destructive occurrence, which increased the willingness of younger gay men to engage in unsafe sex.

Lifting the'veil of AIDS,' Moore recasts the gay male sexual culture of the 1970s as both groundbreaking and creative-provocatively comparing extreme sex to art. He presents a powerful yet nuanced snapshot of a maligned, forgotten era. Moore rescues gay America's past, present, and future from a disturbing spiral of destruction and AIDS-related shame, illustrating why it's critical for the gay community to reclaim the decade.

More LGBT History at my website: www.elisarolle.com/, My Ramblings/Gay Classics




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