Review: The Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Visionary Versatility

It’s a privilege to experience art that embodies the very essence of its creator’s intention.

The Dance Theatre of Harlem’s (DTH) latest season, which premiered April 10th at the New York City Center and runs through April 13th, is exemplifies the company’s dedication to the Black experience and legacy. Featuring recent neo-classical work from resident choreographer Robert Garland, a world premiere from choreographer Jodie Gates, and two classics -- The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude by William Forsythe and George Ballanchine’s Donizetti Variations -- DTH’s latest offering is a varied and timely take on ballet’s boundaries. 

Garland is one of the best interpreters of DTH Founder Arthur Mitchell’s belief that Blackness in ballet is about more than skin color; it is about the preservation of community. Cookout is a glimpse into life on 125th Street or Lenox Avenue, in the heart of Harlem where Mitchell was raised. Cookout uses music from Jill Scott, street-style inspired costuming, and cultural markers like the “dap” to detail three “dignities” of Black culture: work, sorrow and joy. Its exploration of sorrow nods at how often women carry the weight of sadness, while culture lives in the authentic self-expression of Black men. Subtle yet resonant, the dance is resplendent with Garland’s choreographic signatures, and the belief that ballet will continue to define and redefine Black life. 

While Cookout is a bright and grooving image of the human experience, Passage of Being is a darker reflection. The world premiere from choreographer Jodie Gates is part of DTH’s dedication not only to nurturing talent, but to starting conversations. This time it asks how we negotiate existence, including what we leave behind. Passage of Being is raw and exhausting, exposing the stamina and emotional depth of its dancers. Its message, about the actual passing of time, is abstract and, at times, entirely obscure. That is fine. The choreography outshines the opaqueness at its core. 

While the program’s neoclassical and contemporary works indicate how easily DTH defines the future of ballet, the company’s choice to include The Vertigininous Thrill of Exactitude and Donizetti Variations cements its belief that the classic not need be antiquated Exactitude, with its neon-colored, physics-defying costumes, blurs the boundaries between dance and music. Forsythe’s classic relies on dancers’ superb artistry, athletic prowess and unyielding concentration. Donizetti is similarly exhausting, and a near sentimental homage to how well Ballanchine could manipulate the confines of classical to his advantage.