Larry Roquemore

Larry "Rocky" Roquemore (March 29, 1938 – October 25, 2016) was an American dancer, actor, singer, and choreographer whose Broadway career spanned from 1957 to 1967. Born in Mineral Wells, Texas, he is best known for his portrayal of Rocco in both the original Broadway production of West Side Story and its 1961 film adaptation. Later in life, he co-founded the Corpus Christi Ballet, the first ballet company established in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Roquemore's parents, Dalnar Franklin Roquemore and Marie Van Hoosier Roquemore, ran a grocery store in Mineral Wells during his early childhood. During World War II, both parents took jobs at an aircraft factory in Fort Worth, Texas. By 1948, the family had relocated to Fort Worth, where Dalnar and Marie owned and operated the Stardust Café downtown until Dalnar's death in 1967. The family were members of Arlington Heights Methodist Church, and Roquemore was raised in a Methodist household. Following her husband's death, Marie Roquemore built a lengthy career in retail sales, working first at The Fair department store and subsequently for more than thirty years at Neiman Marcus, where she received the Golden Stallion Award for sales excellence. She later married Ernest Oxley and gained a stepson, Tom Oxley.

Roquemore launched his Broadway career in 1957 as a dancer in Li'l Abner. Later that same year, a replacement role became available in West Side Story, and he auditioned against numerous professional dancers in New York for the part of Rocco, a member of the Sharks gang. His work in that stage production brought him to the attention of director and choreographer Jerome Robbins, who contacted Roquemore during casting for the 1961 film adaptation. Roquemore was ultimately selected from a pool of more than 500 performers who screen-tested at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios in Hollywood. His subsequent Broadway credits included Destry Rides Again (1959), Tovarich (1963), Anyone Can Whistle (1964), Kelly (1965), Subways Are for Sleeping, and Hallelujah, Baby! (1967).

Beyond the stage and screen, Roquemore appeared on several television programs, among them The Ed Sullivan Show, The Bell Telephone Hour, and The Garry Moore Show. He also performed with Eva Gabor in a segment of The Tonight Show.

Following his Broadway years, Roquemore managed a Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Englewood, New Jersey. In 1972, he and his wife returned to Texas, settling in Corpus Christi, and became affiliated with the Ella Ilse Studio of Dance, teaching and performing in Corpus Christi and Kingsville. In January 1974, the couple founded Corpus Christi Ballet, with Roquemore serving as its director. Roquemore stepped back from full-time dance work in 1989 and moved to the Texas Hill Country, where he continued teaching country western, ballroom, swing, and line dancing during retirement.

Roquemore married Bettye Jenkins in 1961. The couple had one daughter, Laurie Lea Roquemore Austin, born in 1966, and one grandson. Roquemore died on October 25, 2016, at the age of 78, following a battle with cancer. A memorial service was held on November 12, 2016, at St. Barnabas Episcopal Church in Fredericksburg, Texas.