NORA SMITH
Staff Writer
At 7:30 p.m. tonight, Dance Theatre of Harlem, an American professional ballet company and multicultural dance institution, will command the Amphitheater stage with a performance that is both exhilarating and delightful.
According to the company’s website and a featured article by Djassi DaCosta Johnson, Dance Theatre of Harlem has been “raising the bar” since 1969, when Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook founded the company at the height of the Civil Rights Movement.
Mitchell was the first Black principal dancer in the New York City Ballet, where he performed in many dances, among which were two roles George Balanchine created for him: one half of the pas de deux comprising Agon and the role of Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. About working with Balanchine, Mitchell once said to The New York Times, “My relationship with him was totally different than with the other dancers. It wasn’t about, ‘What role am I going to dance?’ But ‘What would you like me to do? Use me.’ And he did.”
Following his time with the NYCB, Mitchell and Shook — his mentor and teacher — founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem, which made its official performance debut in 1971 at the Guggenheim Museum.
“Their vision remains one of the most democratic in dance,” Johnson wrote. “In moments of extreme injustice and frustration the most impactful art is born. This is true of the inception of one of the most influential American ballet companies of the last five decades, Dance Theatre of Harlem.”
Dance Theatre of Harlem Artistic Director Robert Garland said this involvement and engagement with the community gives the company a “unique perspective and meaningful advantage.”
“When Arthur Mitchell founded Dance Theatre of Harlem, many believed that Black people and the art form of ballet were incompatible,” Garland said. “His vision — and the community that embraced it — proved otherwise.”
Prior to the 7:30 p.m. performance, Vice President of Performing and Visual Arts Laura Savia said Garland will give a pre-show talk moderated by Chautauqua Dance Circle President Anita Lin at 6:15 p.m. in Smith Wilkes Hall.
After the pre-show talk, the company will perform two pieces choreographed by Garland: “New Bach” and the first and fourth movements of Hailstork Symphony No. 1.
Garland said “New Bach,” a neoclassical ballet piece created by Balanchine and cultivated at Dance Theatre of Harlem by Mitchell, was first performed in September 2001 following 9/11.
Chautauquans fill the Amphitheater stage and dance in their seats during the Community Gathering with Dance Theatre of Harlem Sunday in the Amphitheater.
The piece contains “‘post-modern-urban neoclassicism,’ infusing popular vernacular dance and Africanist influences within a framework of George Balanchine’s neoclassical ballet influences,” Garland said.
Garland created Hailstork Symphony No. 1 and said it celebrates the music of Adolphus Hailstork, “whose work bridges classical tradition with the rich expressive language of the African American musical experience.”
Garland said, “It is an honor for Dance Theatre of Harlem to bring his music to life through movement and to celebrate the extraordinary contribution he has made to American music.”
In addition, Garland said the company will perform Robert Bandara’s “Take Me with You,” featuring choreography and movement originally inspired by Radiohead’s song “Reckoner.” He said the choreography comes close to “reflecting about our existence” and trying to understand the meaning of life.
“What is essential for the piece is metaphysical experience, an elusive atmosphere determining the relationship between the dancers on the stage,” Garland said. “[Danza&Danza] magazine has said: ‘Bondara’s “Take Me with You” finds a soulmate in Radiohead’s restless beat, so skillfully employed … The body language is searingly honest connecting social relationships and inner feelings.’”
Lastly, Garland said the company will perform a commission for the Dance Theatre of Harlem, William Forsythe’s latest installment in The Barre Project: “Blake Works IV,” inspired by singer-songwriter James Blake.
“The Barre series began in 2021 at the height of the pandemic as a filmed dance that was streamed to a global audience facing the restrictions on live performance at the time,” Garland said. “The live stage version for Dance Theatre of Harlem features choreographed sections that highlight the diverse and formidable talents of our ensemble and is a version of the ballet that is unique to Dance Theatre of Harlem alone.”
Garland said he hopes audience members will leave the performance knowing that ballet is fun, exciting and that theater is always a great experience.
Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Andre McGregor II, center, helps Caryl Yanow, left, and Christine Fulton with their dance moves.
