Hugh Laing, whose career as a dancer was so closely entwined with that of his longtime companion, choreographer Antony Tudor, that the two were considered a hyphenate in the world of ballet, died Tuesday.
Laing was 77 when he died at St. Luke's Hospital in New York City of cancer.
Mikhail Baryshnikov, director of American Ballet Theater where Laing posted his most recent credits, called the Barbados-born dancer and costume designer "a vital part of the company's heritage who through his work with Antony Tudor brought his artistry first to our audiences and then to our individual dancers."
Like Tudor, Laing studied with Marie Rambert's company in London as a youth and joined the London Ballet Club.
With the Ballet Rambert he created the first of many roles in Tudor ballets, among them "The Planets," 1934; "The Descent of Hebe," 1935; the legendary "Jardin aux Lilas," 1936; "Gallant Assembly," 1936, and "Dark Elegies," 1937.
For Tudor's London Ballet he did "Judgment of Paris," "Gala Performance" (recently revived and staged locally last November) and "Soiree Musicale."
