He received a Doctor of the University degree in recognition of his contribution to dance at a ceremony in Canterbury Cathedral.
Internationally recognised as one of the most influential choreographers in dance, Richard Alston, CBE DPhil, received an honorary degree on Friday 20 November.
After growing up in Paris and London, Richard Alston choreographed his first work in 1968, as one of the 12 students of the newly formed London Contemporary Dance School. In 1972, he formed the UK’s first independent dance group, Strider.
In 1975 he went to New York to study at the Merce Cunningham Dance Studio and in 1980 became Resident Choreographer with Ballet Rambert, and was Artistic Director from 1986 until 1992. He became Artistic Director of The Place in 1994 and formed his own Richard Alston Dance Company in the autumn of that year. Over the past 20 years he has made over 40 dances for this company.
In 1995 Richard Alston was named Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in France and in 2001 he received the CBE in the New Year Honours list. In 2008 he received, from the Critics Circle National Dance Awards, the De Valois Award for Outstanding Achievement.
In 2009, he was appointed Chair of Youth Dance England. In 2012 Richard Alston was presented with the Award for Excellence in International Dance by the International Theatre Institute. He is a Trustee of the Royal Ballet Benevolent Fund.