Dance Theatre of Harlem is one of New York City’s legendary ballet companies. The first Black classical ballet company has a touring company and ballet school.
It was founded by Arthur Mitchell (New York City Ballet) and Karel Shook (Dutch National Ballet) in 1969. Artistic Director Robert Garland now leads the Company. 🇺🇸
Rehearsal Director Juan Carlos Penuela is from Cali, Colombia. In Cali, the “Salsa Capital of the World” everyone dances. It’s cultural. 🇨🇴
The 2024 Company includes wonderful African American, American Latin, Brazilian, Cuban, and Haitian dancers. 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇨🇴 🇨🇺 🇭🇹 🇮🇹
Dance Theatre of Harlem in New York City
Apollo Theater
Dance Theatre of Harlem performs “Harlem Mouse/Country Mouse,” a full-length story ballet, by Robert Garland and Tai Jimenez, that retells Aesop’s fable “City Mouse and Country Mouse” through the rich traditions of the Black South and modern day Harlem; at the world-famous Apollo Theater in Harlem; on Saturday, May 18, 2024, at 3pm. From $25. dancetheatreofharlem.org 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇨🇴 🇨🇺 🇭🇹 🇮🇹
New York City Center
Dance Theatre of Harlem celebrates 55 years of Black Ballet from Arthur Mitchell to Robert Garland, with William Forsyth’s “Blake Works IV (The Barre Project), Garland’s “Return” a soul ballet set to James Brown and Aretha Franklin, plus New York Premieres of Robert Bondara’s “Take Me With You” a contemporary pas de deux set to Radiohead, and Balanchine’s classical”Pas de Dix;” at New York City Center in Midtown, Manhattan; from April 11-14, 2024. From $45. nycitycenter.org 🇺🇸 🇧🇷 🇨🇴 🇨🇺 🇭🇹 🇮🇹
Dance Theatre of Harlem
The first Black classical ballet company was founded by Arthur Mitchell in 1969.
Mitchell, a George Balanchine protégé, was New York City Ballet’s first African American principal dancer (1956-1968). The two seemed to inspire each other. Mitchell was the first international Black ballet star. He opened doors in ballet for all people of color. Mitchell is especially remembered for his dancing in Balanchine’s “Agon” and as Puck in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
Mitchell was inspired to found Dance Theatre by the death of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Mitchell danced through barriers and wanted to give other kids from his neighborhood the same opportunities. You don’t have to be on a professional career path to benefit from studying dance. Dance teaches discipline, following instructions, working together, and living a healthy lifestyle. It also gives students a certain poise that helps any career.
Karel Shook (Ballet Russe de Monte-Carlo, Broadway, New York City Ballet, Dutch National Ballet) was the first ballet master. Many of Shook’s students became legends including Mitchell, Alvin Ailey, Carmen de Lavallade, and Geoffrey Holder.
Dance Theatre of Harlem debuted in 1971 at the Guggenheim Museum. Both Balanchine and Jerome Robbins helped create repertoire. Robbins loved and studied African American dance traditions.
Today Dance Theatre of Harlem is a home of Balanchine Technique along with New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Washington Ballet and Miami City Ballet. That’s some good company.
The company’s signature ballet is Geoffrey Holder’s “Dougla” with music by founding Music Director, the Cuban composer Tania León. It’s a wedding ballet and costume pageant set in Trinidad’s African-South Asian community, another golden thread in the rich quilt of diversity that is African Diaspora culture today.
Part of being Latin is being Black. These 2024 Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers are of Latin descent.
- Lucas Castro is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. @lucascliim 🇧🇷
- Sanford Placide is from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. @placidesanford 🇭🇹
- Elias Re is from Milan, Italy. @elias_re 🇨🇺 🇮🇹
- Ingrid Silva is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. @ingridsilva 🇧🇷
Tickets and More Information
Tickets are sold through presenting theaters.
Dance Theatre of Harlem
466 West 152nd St
(between Amsterdam & Convent Ave)
Hamilton Heights, Manhattan
Subways
(A)(C) to 155th St (4 blocks)
(1) to 157th St (5 blocks)
Social Media
Twitter @DTHballet
Instagram @dancetheatreofharlem