By Walter Rutledge
The Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) presented their New York City season April 10th through April 14th at New York City Center. The four-day four-performance season featured works by George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jodi Gates, and DTH Artistic Director Robert Garland. The evening presented four abstract works in the Contemporary Ballet, Neoclassic and Garland’s own Harem Swag styles. There was a lot of admirable dancing presented but little theatre offered.
The Cookout, the much-anticipated urban themed ballet by Artistic Director Garland, opened the evening. Three of his ballets, the 1999 breakout ballet Return, and 2022 soulful crowd pleaser Higher Ground and Nyman String Quartet No. 2 (2019) revived for 2024 season, were abstract narratives that joyously celebrated black culture. The Cookout presented a more cerebral approach to the traditional Black summer family gathering. Unfortunately, at this cookout Garland decided to put raisins in his proverbial potato salad.
The work was designed as a series of unrelated vignettes based on celebrating the dignity of work, culture, and sorrow. Dancer Keenan English opened the work with slow and sensual gyrations upstage in silhouette to Jill Scott’s soulful A Long Walk. Dancers (some wearing unflattering costumes) soon entered the space performing repetitive jazz and modern-based phrases which suddenly transitioned into ballet combinations.
Garland included his version of the popular Boots on the Ground line dance. The dance phenomenon, which has become part of the black social dance lexicon. This should have been a “cultural gem moment,” unfortunately, the moment was not developed enough to effectively enthrall the audience.
The final crossing, described as “Culminating in Black Joy” was an in-character promenade, which, at this point, seemed out of context. Dancers crossed downstage in single file carrying red plastics cup full of a joy inducing libations, which created a fun, humorous and humanistic all too brief epilogue. One can only wonder if the ending had been the prologue, and this part of his theme had been explored.
William Forsythe’s ensemble work The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude presented the company with a welcomed challenge. Like his 2023 company favorite Blake Works IV (The Barre Project) Forsythe’s breakneck signature style showcases the company’s strong contemporary/neoclassic ballet prowess. Set to Frank Schubert Allegro Vivace from Symphony No. 9 in C Major, D944 the choreographer put an exciting twist on the eighteenth-century extended sonata.
The stellar cast featuring Micah Bullard, David Wright, Lindsey Donnell, Alexandra Hutchinson, Alexandra Rene Jones, Kamala Samara, Ingrid Silva, and Delaney Washington seemed to genuinely enjoy dancing this work. Fleet-footed allegro, buoyant jumps, and articulate batterie were performed with an exuberant, almost playful/confident attack. Clever/avant-garde costumes by Stephen Galloway helped give this dynamic work extra panache and freshness.
Passage of Being by Jodie Gates was the company’s world premiere. New York City world premieres are always a roll of the dice. It does not allow the work to maturate on the road before it falls under the heavy scrutiny of New York audiences. Gates rolled a seven with Passage of Being creating an aesthetically satisfying seamless ribbon of movement.
This was old school partnering. The dancers effortlessly performed explosive lifts, nuanced interactions, supported turns and promenades. These welcome elements were on full display in his well-crafted lyric work. To Gates’ credit she was able to successfully sustain the smoothing style into the variations creating a holistic energy throughout. Every dancer was committed and engaged, but Derek Brockington and Kamala Sahara were standouts.
The program closed on a high note with George Balanchine’s Donizetti Variation. Balanchine and Dance Theatre of Harlem share a bond that extends beyond the DTH school and company’s founding. DTH founder Arthur Mitchell was the first Black Principal Dancer in Balanchine’s New York City Ballet, and Balanchine supported Mitchell when many doubted his vision.
When you look past the choreographer’s structural genius, and musicality Balanchine is an unrepentant show off. Dazzling turns, allegro at breakneck speed, daredevil dancing combine to establish a kind of choreographic snugness/elitism. The word pomp is an understatement when describing a Balanchine ballet and Donzetti Variations is no exception.
The ballet delivers a series of 13 divertissements including a flashy pas de deux with variations for the lead couple. And Alexandra Hutchinson and David Wright did not disappoint. Each attacked their variations and charmed the audience with technical proficiency and aplomb. Wright’s multiple turns wowed the audience resulting in a sustained burst of spontaneous applause. The entire ensemble confidently danced this neoclassic classic bringing the evening to a rousing finish; but the ballet’s protracted length combined with following a second intermission made the program feel bottom heavy.
The 2025 Dance Theatre of Harlem season successfully highlighted a vibrant and talented ensemble. The company remains the premiere bastion for African American representation in ballet. If it is difficult for Black ballet dancers to find safe havens; then it must be equally challenging if not an even more arduous task for a Black ballet choreographer to find ballet companies to produce their vision. This season only presented one choreographer of color.
In Photo: 1. The Cookout- the Company 2. The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude- Kamala Samara 3. Passage of Being- Derek Brockington and Kamala Sahara 4. Donizetti Variation- Alexandra Hutchinson and David Wright
Photo by: 1. Rachel Papo 2,3,4. Steven Pisano
