An Extraordinary Life: Award-winning choreographer put local kids on the Rialto stage

Starting in the 1990s, the Chicago Festival Ballet’s production of the “The Nutcracker” at the Rialto Square Theatre was an annual holiday tradition, partly because its founder Kenneth von Heidecke always included local youth in the performances as mice and soldiers.

Some of these youth wound up touring out-of-state with the ballet. And any student not selected for mice or soldiers automatically became an angel, a less demanding role, von Heidecke said in a 2019 Herald-News story.

“I never believed in turning down any kids,” von Heidecke said in the story. “I have a soft heart.”

An outpouring of tributes from students, former students and their families has filled von Heidecke’s Facebook page ever since he died in a car accident on Dec. 11 at the age of 68. Some said von Heidecke was finally reunited with his longtime friend and business partner Timothy Cremeens, who died Dec. 15, 2011.

But then, Kenneth was “extremely compassionate and empathetic,” his sister Susan Ocasio of Elk Grove Village said.

“Even though he was in fine arts, he was just so down-to-earth and loving,” Susan said, later adding her brother had quipped, “I’m just a Jethro Bodine.”

Boyhood - and beyond

Born in Berwyn and raised in Cicero and Elmhurst as the second oldest of seven children, von Heidecke invited his friends home for lunch so often, his mother Laura (deceased) finally had to ask him to give her advance notice, von Heidecke’s sister Lynn DeRose of Glen Ellyn said.

“She didn’t always have enough food to feed the whole neighborhood,” Lynn said.

But the habit persisted into adulthood, except now von Heidecke also brought home people in need. Susan said their mother used to say used to say, “Kenny is my Salvation Army.”

Lynn said von Heidecke played the clarinet in grade school and high school and participated in marching band. He was also liked to draw, paint and – as an adult, cook gourmet food, often inventing his own recipes, Lynn and Susan said.

Even as a boy, von Heidecke saw the possibilities in food. Whereas his siblings might open the refrigerator and ask, “What’s for dinner?” he would say, “Wow, look at all this food! There’s so much to eat,” Susan said.

“He’d take the leftovers out and mix and match and make a feast,” Susan said.

Steve von Heidecke of Elmhurst said his brother also loved nature. Kenneth searched ponds for crayfish and butterflies – he even had a butterfly collection – and even brought home a cat for a few days until he located the owner, Steve said.

“When we were little kids, he got a microscope for Christmas,” Steve said. “He had aquariums with fish and he had a myna bird he got from Sears.”

But it was Kenneth’s Italian grandparents who stoked his love for classical music by playing it on the radio. Soon Kenneth was bringing home opera and ballet recordings and books about dancers from the library. Lynn, who preferred disco, said Kenneth once “pranked” her while giving her a ride to work. He was driving a convertible and playing “The Blue Danube.”

When he arrived at her workplace, “he suddenly turned up the volume as loud as he could,” Lynn said.

“He’s laughing as I’m getting out of the car and everyone is looking at me,” Lynn said.

Kenneth kept his ballet lessons a secret in the beginning, uncertain if his father Richard von Heidecke would support him. But that changed the first time his parnents saw him perform, outside in Oak Park, Susan said.

“He said, ‘I had no idea he could do that. You have our full support,’” Susan said.

Kenneth graduated from York High School in 1970 and earned a degree in English literature from Elmhurst College. Lynn, who also attended Elmhurst College, recalled the time she and Ken were at a bar in Chicago and an impromptu dance contest was announced, which Kenneth insisted they enter. At one point, Kenneth lifted her up, one leg sliding up to her knee and twirled her around, a move they’d never rehearsed.

They earned first place.

“I think we won a bottle of champagne,” Lynn said.

From dancer to choreographer

Kenneth’s obituary said he began a career in ballet dancing in 1975, eventually becoming the choreographer for Lyric Opera of Chicago and the protégé of legendary prima ballerina Maria Tallchief (deceased). He performed with numerous ballet companies. Princess Grace of Monaco even invited him to perform, according to a 2000 Herald-News story.

During this time, Kenneth’s role model was Rudolf Nureyev.

“He was so magnetic and so technical and also a great artist, that there was an incredible influx of American boys wanting to study dance,” Kenneth said in the 2019 story.

But Kenneth’s eight-year career ended in 1983 after two male dancers collided with him in midair, severely inuring both of his knees. He had multiple surgeries and finally two knee replacements, Susan said.

“He could not dance anymore,” Susan said. “He went and got a bank job. And he was just so depressed and sad. It was Maria Tallchief who said, ‘Kenny, you’re brilliant. You’re talented. Come on; I want you to start choreographing. And that was the start of it.”

Kenneth opened Von Heidecke’s School of the Chicago Festival Ballet in 1990.

Since then, Kenneth has directed the choreography more than 60 operas and 80 ballets for opera and ballet companies around the world and received numerous awards for his work and artistic creativity. He served as the ballet master for 1996 Women’s Olympic gymnastics team as the ballet master, according to the 2000 Herald-News story, and he was inducted into the Fox Valley Hall of Fame in 2008, according to the VH Dance website.

A documentary was made about his life in 2019, which is posted on YouTube. Kenneth also received the Dukes of Distinction of award from York High School in 2015, Lynn said.

But with all his renown, Kenneth was thrilled when the Rialto suggested he bring “The Nutcracker” to the “beautiful historical theater” in Joliet, he said according to the 2019 story.

Why was his “Nutcracker” so successful? Perhaps because it was true Tchaikovsky’s score, had tumblers that “wowed” the audience and focused more on dancing and less on “long passages of pantomime,” Kenneth said according to the story.

“Most people have never seen a ballet. It’s really nice to impress them,” Kenneth said according to the 2019 story. “When I hear people walking out of the theater, especially husbands and teenage boys, saying to their wives or girlfriends, ‘Wow, I didn’t know it was going to be like that. You can take me to a ballet anytime,’ I think that is very rewarding.”

To continue his legacy, donations to the Kenneth von Heidecke Memorial Scholarship fund can be made through the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization V H Ballet. Visit vhdancecenter.com.

• To feature someone in “An Extraordinary Life,” contact Denise M. Baran-Unland at 815-280-4122 or dunland@shawmedia.com.