Kenneth Tharp is Chief Executive of The Place, the UK's premier centre for contemporary dance. Having trained at The Place's London Contemporary Dance School, his 25-year performing career included London Contemporary Dance Theatre (1981-1994) and Arc Dance Company (1994-2005). Tharp has worked extensively as a choreographer, teacher and director, choreographing over 40 works. From 2005-2007 he was Lead Artist & Artistic Advisor for The Royal Ballet School's Dance Partnership & Access Programme and also Assistant to the Head of Contemporary Dance at Millennium Dance 2000 until August 2007. He was Dancer in Residence at Queens' College Cambridge from 1998-2006 and with composer Simon Redfern was co-director of Artyfartyarts, a multi disciplinary arts group. He serves on the Board of the Royal Opera House. In 2003, he was made an OBE in recognition of his services to dance. He recently completed a NESTA funded Fellowship on The Clore Leadership Programme before taking up his current appointment as Chief Executive at The Place in September 2007.