First American graduate of the Benesh Institute of Choreology (dance notation) in London, Richard became artistic director and choreographer of the Kalinka Russian Dance Ensemble in 1989 after an illustrious ballet career in New York, where he worked with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theater, assisting Baryshnikov, and the Harkness and Joffrey Ballet companies.

Professional dancer and choreologist, Richard has also designed, set and chroeographed dozens of ballets all over America, as well as documenting the works of Contreras in Mexico City. He toured Spain and Portugal with the Harkness, and assisted Igor Moiseyev of Moscow on his US tour. (In 1968 he studied character dance with Moiseyev in the USSR.)

He is the author of 3 books, numerous articles and still has time to teach ballet and character dance in many parts of America. He taught the dance workshop for the 1989 BDAA convention, has performed in several films, and frequently choreographs for the Arizona Opera Company.