DANCECLEVELAND

PLAYHOUSE SQUARE - OHIO THEATRE

SATURDAY, JANUARY 21ST, 2017 7:30 PM

Founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook, Dance Theatre of Harlem was considered "one of ballet's most exciting undertakings" (The New York Times, 1971). Shortly after the assassination of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mitchell was inspired to start a school that would offer children in Harlem, the community in which he was born - the opportunity to learn about dance. Now in its fourth decade, Dance Theatre of Harlem has grown into a multi-cultural dance company that has achieved unprecedented success, bringing innovative and bold new forms of artistic expression to audiences in New York City, across the country and around the world. Known for thrilling performances that challenge preconceived notions, Dance Theatre of Harlem performs an eclectic repertoire including treasured classics, neo-classical works by George Balanchine and resident choreographer Robert Garland, as well as cutting edge contemporary works. The January performances in Cleveland will include several works including a new piece of repertoire by Cleveland native and renowned modern dance choreographer, Dianne McIntyre that will carry a message of empowerment and beauty through the movement of contemporary ballet that can be enjoyed by audience members of all ages!

"One thing that Dance Theater of Harlem seems to understand is how to please its public. At City Center on Friday, as the troupe presented the second program of a four-show return to a theater that had long been its home, a receptive audience expressed its approval enthusiastically and with increasing intensity through each of the four works." -Brian Seibert, The New York Times