APRIL 4-7, 2018. Four Performances Only
Following its critically acclaimed, successful 2017 spring season, New York’s beloved Dance Theatre of Harlem, under the artistic direction of Virginia Johnson, will return to NY City Center for its annual homecoming season from April 4-7, 2018.
Showcasing a program of classic and contemporary works, premieres and revivals – including one of the company’s most celebrated, Dougla, by the late brilliant artist, dancer and choreographer Geoffrey Holder – the company’s 2018 spring engagement will open on April 4, the 50th Anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., with the organization’s annual Vision Gala, honoring dance legend Carmen de Lavallade and civil rights icon Xernona Clayton. The season will continue with three programs of performances through April 7.
As in the past, this City Center season features four programs of works by such legendary and celebrated choreographers as Christopher Wheeldon, Marius Petipa, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and DTH legendsGeorge Balanchine and Geoffrey Holder. Tickets for Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 2018 Season at New York City Center range in price from $35 – $115 and can be arranged through CityTix atwww.NYCityCenter.org, by calling (212) 581-1212 or by visiting the New York City Center box office located at 131 West 55th Street.
This year’s April 4 Vision Gala, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., reflects on the legacy of Dr. King and the impact of that tragic event. Less than a year later, in February 1969, Arthur Mitchell and his mentor, Karel Shook founded Dance Theatre of Harlem as a beacon of hope for the youth in the neighborhood where Mitchell grew up – Harlem. In a few short years, DTH became a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim.
That legacy continues through its school, which serves more than 700 teens and children nationally and from the New York City metropolitan area; its Dancing Through Barriers arts-education and community engagement program; and its world-renowned ballet company. The 2018 Vision Gala, honoring arts legend and recent Kennedy Center Honoree Carmen de Lavallade and civil rights leader and pioneering broadcast executive Xernona Clayton, will take place at the Park Hyatt New York, located at 153 West 57th Street. For more information about the Gala, or to purchase a combination performance and Gala ticket, please call (212) 889-4694 or click HERE.
“Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 2018 New York City Center programming beautifully reflects our goal of celebrating the future while honoring the past,” says Artistic Director Virginia Johnson. “From the joyous and soulful Harlem on My Mind by Darrell Grand Moultrie, to Marius Petipa’s breathtaking and dynamic Le Corsaire. The melding of what’s been and what’s to come in DTH’s first collaboration with Christopher Wheeldon with This Bitter Earth, to a company premiere of George Balanchine’s Valse-Fantaisie, and the long-awaited revival of my dear late friend Geoffrey Holder’s Dougla, a piece that truly reflects what and who Dance Theatre of Harlem is. I’m thrilled to share these works – along with our own Robert Garland’s Braham’s Variations and Dianne McIntyre’s Change at the opening night Vision Gala performance – with our neighbors, friends and fellow dance lovers this spring. At DTH, the movement, which began over 49 years ago, continues.”
Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 2018 season promises to be a thrilling evening of dance, featuring unique and inspiring works that reflect the company’s rich legacy and the diversity of 21st century ballet. Highlights include the New York premieres of acclaimed choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie’s Harlem on My Mind; This Bitter Earth, the breathtakingly elegant work by Christopher Wheeldon, set to the music of Dinah Washington and Max Richter; George Balanchine’s beloved Valse-Fantaisie; and, live music & guest artists from Collage Dance Collective, under the leadership of former DTH dancer Kevin Thomas, will accompany the revival of the legendary choreographer Geoffrey Holder’s masterwork Dougla.
Wednesday, April 4 at 7pm: Opening Night Performance and Vision Gala Commemorating the 50thAnniversary of the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Honoring Carmel de Lavallade and Xernona Clayton
Brahms Variations (excerpt) by Robert Garland
Change by Dianne McIntyre
Pièce d’ Occasion by Robert Garland danced by the extraordinary students of the DTH School
Le Corsaire Pas de Deux by Marius Petipa
Dougla (Company Revival) by Geoffrey Holder
For the entire listing of performances please visit www.DanceTheatreOfHarlem.org
