Early training Harkarvy began to study dance at the age of thirteen, already focused on the goal of teaching. Among his principal teachers were two highly regarded Russian expatriates:
Edward Caton and
Elizabeth Anderson-Ivantzova. Harkarvy studied primarily at the
School of American Ballet. He had only a brief performing career, making his debut with the
Brooklyn Lyric Opera at the age of eighteen and appearing in summer stock productions.
Career From 1951 to 1955, he taught at
Michel Fokine's school in New York City, and, in 1955, he opened his own school. Harkarvy's first post with a dance company came in 1957 with the
Royal Winnipeg Ballet. The following year he was named ballet master of the
Dutch National Ballet. Unhappy over problems with that company, he and a number of the dancers broke away and formed
Nederlands Dans Theater in 1959. Harkarvy and
Hans van Manen co-directed this new company, which combined ballet and modern dance in its repertory, for a decade. In 1969, Harkarvy became co-director, with
Lawrence Rhodes, of the
Harkness Ballet, which was disbanded the following year. He then returned to the
Dutch National Ballet for a year, but, from 1972 to 1982, he was affiliated with the
Pennsylvania Ballet. For Pennsylvania Ballet he taught daily and re-staged several of his well-known ballets-Madrigalesco, Recital for Cello and 8 Dancers, Grand Pas Espagnol plus created several new works including Quartet, Time Passed Summer, Continuum, Four Men Waiting, From Gentle Circles, Signatures and Poems of Love and the Seasons. He also brought in choreographers including Hans van Manen, Charles Czarny, Margo Sappington, Lynne Taylor-Corbett, Rodney Griffin,
Choo San Goh, to create works for the company. During this period, Harkarvy helped to raise the profile of the Philadelphia-based troupe, but he left in 1982 after the company began to experience severe financial difficulties. ==Teaching==