Peter London: The Man Behind the Vision

A native of the Republic of Trinidad & Tobago, Peter London is the Founder, Artistic Director and Choreographer of The Peter London Global Dance Company, (PLGDC, Inc.) founded in 2011. PLGDC, Inc. is a 2011 $120.000.00 Knight Foundation Challenge Grant Winner.  Regarded by The Miami Herald as “a revered and beloved dance teacher,” London is an honors graduate of The Julliard School and serves as a distinguished professor of dance at Miami-Dade College / New World School of the Arts.

London was Barataria Dance Group's award-winning director, dancer, and choreographer, and as one of Trinidad & Tobago's leading dance company from 1979-1983, representing the government as cultural ambassador to Dallas 1977 International Trade Fair, CARIFESTA 1979 in Cuba and CARIBANA in Toronto, Canada. As a principal dancer (1978-1983) of the Astor Johnson Repertory Dance Theatre of Trinidad & Tobago, he performed locally for six seasons and toured the United States and Haiti.  As a principal dancer of the  prestigious Martha Graham Dance Company, London worked closely with the legendary Martha Graham  who created the role of the "Shaman" for him in her 1988 ballet " Night Chant",  and recreated roles  for him in her ballets American Document  and El Penitent which he danced  with Michael Baryshnikov at New York's  City Center Theater. London's principal roles included The Shaman in the "Rite of Spring", Paris in "Clytemnestra",  The Man In White in "Diversion of Angels", the Chief Male Celebrant in "Acts of Light", Tiresias in "Night Journey" and The Snake in "Circe" among others. London danced in the Graham company City Center Theater 1992 season in Twyla Tharp's world premiere of “Demeter & Persephone" and Robert Wilson’s 1993" Snow on the Mesa ".

London was a faculty member at the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance and  performed worldwide  with  the Graham company  from 1988- 1997, including nine seasons at New York City's City Center Theater and at the Herod Atticus Odeon at the Acropolis in  Athens, Greece,  Israel, Brazil, Canada, Thailand, Singapore, Hungary, Prague, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong and at New York's  Metropolitan Opera House, the Pompeii amphitheater, Italy,  L'Opera Garnier de Paris, Shinjuku Bunka Center, Tokyo, Japan, where he can be seen  on film in the latter two performances and at the Het Music Theater in  Amsterdam, Holland. He has performed at the Kennedy Center Honors, and for President Gerald. R. and First Lady Bette Ford and the Crown Prince of Japan. From 2007, London has served as Graham's Senior Artistic Associate for tours to Colombia, Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy. In 2017, he served as rehearsal director for Graham's production of "Diversion of Angels" for the Rome Opera Ballet, Italy, and as a two time  judge ( 2011-2012) for the  Seoul, Korea's International Modern Dance Competition and  performances at City Center Theater and The  JOYCE Theater in New York City. 

In 2012, London completed a choreographic research with South Korea's National Modern Dance Company. As a member of the Jose Limon Dance Company, London performed at the 1987 American Dance Festival, The JOYCE Theater, Mexico, Uruguay, and   Teatro Colon in Argentina. From 1979 to present, London has created over fifty choreographic works based on African dance retention in the Caribbean and contemporary dance fusion of modern, classical and Afro Diaspora dance techniques. London recently commissioned original scores from composer Ezra Haugabrooks for his 2019 production of "Black Men Stories" and 2020 "WOMEN ROSES WATER" premiered at the Adrienne Arsht Center. London was a 1983 recipient of a special scholarship by Alvin Ailey and was an AILEY Summer Intensive Faculty member and Choreographer from 1997-2010.  He is also an active mentor to some of the biggest stars in professional dance such as principal dancer Jamar Roberts of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Lloyd Knight and Mariya Dashkina Maddux, principal dancers of the historic Martha Graham Dance Company, and La Michael Leonard of New York City’s Bill T. Jones / Arnie Zane Dance Company.  London is a 2012 Jewish American Committee Honoree, and the recipient  of numerous awards  including a 2012-ICABA ,  2014-Legacy Magazine, 2013-Southern District of the Links Incorporated Civic Arts Award,  2019-Trinidad & Tobago Independence Ball Committee, 2019- International Voices of Hope  (IVOH).