Dance Theatre of Harlem 55th Anniversary Opening Night Review
April 11, 2024 | New York City Center – New York City, NY, USA
Dance Theatre of Harlem has shown remarkable fortitude as a company over its groundbreaking half-a-century of history and the opening night of its 55th Anniversary did not disappoint.
The next generation of company artists displays immense potential in making history in their own right under the direction of the newly appointed Robert Garland for his inaugural season at the head. The small but fierce and mighty company debuted a well-balanced mixed-bill program to a packed and enthusiastic audience at the New York City Center.
Dance Theatre of Harlem 55th Anniversary Opening Night Review
Garland opened the show with an eloquent nod to Dance Theatre of Harlem founder Arthur Mitchell and the trailblazing Black artists who have paved the path for current generations.
The curtain opened to reveal Garland’s choreography, Nyman String Quartet No. 2, which debuted on Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 50th Anniversary. The athletic piece, inspired by the 1968 Summer Olympics track runner John Wesley, was a fun twist on a Balanchine Black and White Ballet (an industry nickname for George Balanchine’s abstract ballets where the dancers wear plain black or white leotards) but in blue and pink.
Garland’s choreography was vibrant, lively, and uniquely Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Undulating social dance rhythms kept the heartbeat to the sound of the quick-fire string quartet and were decorated with powerful moments of still hand gestures pointing up toward the sky. The entire ensemble displayed impressive, clean, grounded, and flawless technique and was in sync throughout the complicated turn, jump, and partnering sequences. The dancers were even united in their breath and eye movements which indicate the professionalism of a true ensemble.
Nyman String Quartet No. 2 was followed by an indulgent pas de deux choreographed by Robert Bondara titled Take Me with You set to Radiohead’s “Reckoner”.
The program description implied it was a duet first inspired by the rhythmic opening of the famous Radiohead tune and the choreography tried to embody the metaphysical.
If I had to make one critique about an otherwise solid program, I wasn’t sure if I was able to interpret, or was left with concrete thoughts to ponder, about Bondara’s artistic program note; but then again, that is the caveat to attempting to embody ephemeral abstracts such as the metaphysical.
The seamless partnering – danced gorgeously by Amanda Smith and Elias Re – seemed to be interested in exploring gravity and retrograde movement possibilities that wouldn’t be possible without two bodies working in opposition or tandem.
Third on the bill was the most classical on the program: the sparkling, crystal-encrusted Pas de Dix by Balanchine which borrows music and choreography from Act III of Raymonda.
Again, the unanimous energy of the synchronized corps and soloists was impressive.
Each dancer deserves an individual shout-out for bringing their confident technique, fast footwork, and vivacity, but the audience was swept away by Kamala Saara’s solo, famous for its dramatic and regal flair.
Saara stepped into the role of a stoic and proud princess, which was a stark – but interesting – contrast in texture from the remainder of Pas de Dix which was flirtatious, vibrant, and wonderfully embodied by the company.
The program closed with a bang with Blake Works IV: The Barre Project by William Forsythe.
Set to the music of James Blake and choreographed in vignettes darting to and away from a ballet barre, the first iteration of the flashy Barre series (the original Blake Works I was choreographed for Paris Opera Ballet in 2015) was created during the remnants of the pandemic lockdown in 2021. In it, dancers remained in place at the barre due to limited space and presented the majority of their twirls and fancy footwork front-facing for at-home remote viewers.
Since then, Forsythe’s Barre series has been so well accepted – potentially in part by how fun it likely is for the dancers and therefore the energy is reciprocated by the audience – that it has developed into a multi-part work.
I have witnessed different iterations of Blake Works previously but never on Dance Theatre of Harlem. When watching other accomplished dancers take on the energetic work, I felt a certain spirit was missing.
Yet watching Dance Theatre of Harlem tackle the latest Blake Works commission was the sweetest indulgence. The company’s flawless technique, spirited vivacity, and leave-no-survivors ferocity were an immense delight to witness.
Featured Photo for this Dance Theatre of Harlem 55th Anniversary Opening Night review of DTH Company Artists in Robert Garland’s Nyman String Quartet No. 2. Photo by Steven Pisano.
