 Originally from Belton, Texas, Hightower trained with Ted Shawn.He danced principal roles with the Metropolitan Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, and the Agnes de Mille Dance Theatre; in addition, he performed regularly at the Metropolitan Opera.Like many ballet dancers of the 1940s and 1950s, Hightower frequently supplemented his income by working in musical theatre, and his Broadway appearances include "Peter Pan", "110 in the Shade", "Camelot", "Anyone Can Whistle", and "Brigadoon".