Ricardo Hartley III, a native of Atlanta, Georgia, and a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts is currently a senior at The Juilliard School under the direction of Alicia Graf Mack. Ricardo began training in classical ballet, modern, and jazz at the age of thirteen at the Ailey Camp Atlanta Summer Intensive. From thereon, Ricardo trained all over the metro-Atlanta area at schools such as Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education, City Gate Dance Theatre, and the Dekalb School of the Arts. In 2015, Ricardo was awarded as a dance finalist for Georgia's Governor's Honors Program. In 2016, Ricardo was selected to be a part of Steve Harvey's Disney Dreamers Academy. The same year, with his family, Ricardo relocated to Dallas, Texas to attend Booker T. Washington HSPVA. While at Booker T. Washington HSPVA, Ricardo trained at Chamberlain School of Ballet under the direction of Kathy Chamberlain. While at Juilliard, Ricardo has become a multifaceted dancer, choreographer, and artist. He has performed works by Jerome Robbins, Bryan Arias, José Limón, Donald McKayle, Andrea Miller, and many more. Ricardo has received numerous scholarships and awards from Juilliard, such as the Irene Diamond Scholarship, Barbara Brandt Scholarship, and the Marjorie Tallman Memorial Scholarship in Dance. He has also been awarded the Outstanding Choreographer's Award from the Youth American Grand Prix and a 2017 YoungArts Finalist for modern dance. Ricardo has trained at Netherlands Dans Theater Summer Intensive and the Orsolina 28 Pite/Forsythe Intensive during his summers away from college. In 2020, Ricardo and his mother co-founded Adoration of the Queer Mind, a lifestyle brand committed to combating the mental health issues within the LGBTQIA+ community. With his family and friend's love and support, Ricardo is excited to see how his life as a dancer, choreographer, creative, and social activist blossoms.