The Exhibition > Checklist
ARTHUR MITCHELL:
HARLEM’S BALLET TRAILBLAZER
CHECKLIST
The following checklist is organized as if the reader were walking through the exhibition. Each section is titled and, in most cases, begins with a wall text, followed by a list of objects with their labels. In addition, two theater areas offered compilations of footage of Arthur Mitchell and Dance Theatre of Harlem in performance. The contents of those compilations are listed separately.
INTRODUCTORY PANEL
Arthur Mitchell: Harlem’s Ballet Trailblazer celebrates the extraordinary career of the New York City Ballet’s first African American star and the founder and longtime director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Born in Harlem, Mitchell studied at the High School of Performing Arts, danced on Broadway and with modern dance groups, and in 1955 was invited by NYCB’s artistic director George Balanchine to join the internationally acclaimed company. Balanchine created several great roles for him, including the pas de deux in Agon (1957) and Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1962).
In 1968, galvanized by the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mitchell, with Karel Shook, formed what became the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Like The Studio Museum in Harlem and Negro Ensemble Company, DTH was forged in the crucible of the Civil Rights and Black Arts Movements. DTH was a company of dancers on a mission, intent on proving that African Americans could dance classical ballet. Harlem was their home, but they also belonged to New York City and to the world. Above all, Mitchell and his dancers believed that the making of art and beauty was also an act of justice.
Objects
Michael D. Harris, Aspirations + Inspiration, 1985. With images of Arthur Mitchell and John Coltrane. Limited edition print, 7/30. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Dance Theatre of Harlem: Classically American, 2001. Poster designed by Hilary Knight. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Before entering the gallery:
Anthony Crickmay. Arthur Mitchell as Phlegmatic in The Four Temperaments, London, 1965. Twenty-two gelatin silver prints. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
One of Britain’s greatest photographers, best known for his dance and theater work, Anthony Crickmay photographed Mitchell in his London studio in 1965 during the New York City Ballet’s performances at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
Martin Graf. Dance Theatre of Harlem, New York, 1990. Eleven gelatin silver prints. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
These images, by the German photographer Martin Graf, register a somber mood at the DTH studios during the company’s six-month shutdown in 1990, when operations were suspended to avoid a projected $1.7 million deficit.
NEW YORK CITY BALLET
In 1955, after studying at the School of American Ballet and with Karel Shook, Arthur Mitchell became a member of the New York City Ballet, where he worked under the tutelage of George Balanchine. During the next sixteen years Mitchell originated roles in Agon (1957), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1962), and Slaughter on Tenth Avenue (1968), in addition to appearing in numerous repertory works. Among his partners were the ballerinas Tanaquil Le Clercq, Diana Adams, Allegra Kent, Violette Verdy, and Suzanne Farrell.
Objects
Mounted collage with telegram from Lincoln Kirstein to Arthur Mitchell inviting him to join the New York City Ballet, August 24, 1955; playbill documenting Mitchell's first performance with the company in Balanchine's Western Symphony, November 8, 1955; and clipping of Mitchell rehearsing for his debut with Tanaquil Le Clercq, 1955. Paper mounted on board. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Diana Adams and Arthur Mitchell in Balanchine's Agon, 1957. Photographs by Martha Swope, New York. Signed and dated by the photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Suzanne Farrell and Arthur Mitchell in Balanchine's Agon, London, 1965/1998. Photograph by Anthony Crickmay, London. Private collection.
A Festival of Stravinsky: His Heritage and His Legacy, 1966. Poster for the New York Philharmonic. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Mitchell appeared with Suzanne Farrell in Balanchine's Ragtime II.
Al Hirschfeld. Suzanne Farrell and Arthur Mitchell in Balanchine's Slaughter on Tenth Avenue, 1968. Ink on paper. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Hirschfeld's drawing was published in the New York Times, April 28, 1968.
Arthur Mitchell as Puck in Balanchine's A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1962. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Displayed with Marianne Moore’s 1962 poem Arthur Mitchell: "Slim dragon-fly / too rapid for the eye / to cage, / contagious gem of virtuosity / make visible, mentality. / Your jewels of mobility / reveal / and veil / a peacock-tail."
Arthur Mitchell and Mary Hinkson (guest artist) in "Africa: The Oni of Ife and His Consort," in Balanchine's Figure in the Carpet, 1960. Photograph by Martha Swope, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell (as the Snake) in Todd Bolender's Creation of the World, New York City Ballet,1960. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell as the Dark Angel with Edward Villella in the title role of Balanchine's Orpheus, Stravinsky Festival, Hamburgische Staatsoper, June 24-28, 1962. Photograph by Fritz Peyer, Hamburg. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell in Balanchine's Bugaku, London, 1965. Photograph by Anthony Crickmay, London. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Although the ballet was created for Edward Villella and Allegra Kent, Mitchell began dancing it with Mimi Paul within months of its 1963 premiere. Wrote critic Walter Terry in the New York Herald Tribune: "Saturday's matinee...opened with a glowing presentation of Balanchine's...poetic and quietly erotic 'Bugaku.' Arthur Mitchell, as the Bridegroom, gave an unforgettable performance which combined the electrifying skills of a virtuoso with the graceful and tasteful commentary of the actor-dancer. I think that he has probably never danced better in his life" (October 25, 1965).
Arthur Mitchell with Gloria Govrin in the last movement of Balanchine's Western Symphony, 1962. Photograph by Fritz Peyer, Hamburg. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. This photograph was probably taken during the New York City Ballet's season at the Hamburgische Staatsoper, September 1-2, 1962.
Tanaquil Le Clercq. The Ballet Cook Book. New York: Stein and Day, 1966. Collection of Meryl Rosovsky.
The recipe for “Peas ‘n’ Rice, Hopping John” was a Mitchell family New Year’s Eve favorite. The other recipes in the chapter on Mitchell were “Old-Fashioned Dressing,” “Deviled Crabs,” “Stuffed Porgies,” “Veal West Indies,” “Pork Chops Smothered in Appleberry Sauce,” “Ham and Yams and Pineapple,” and “Sweet Potato Pies.”
BEYOND BALLET
Mitchell worked with numerous modern dance choreographers during the 1950s, including Shirley Broughton, Sophie Maslow, Anna Sokolow, Donald McKayle, and John Butler, whose ensembles were racially integrated. He also appeared in Four Saints in Three Acts (1952), House of Flowers (1954), and Carmen Jones (1956), all-black Broadway shows whose casts were a Who’s Who of the up-and-coming generation of black dance talent, and in Harry Belafonte’s television specials Tonight with Belafonte (1959) and Belafonte, New York 19 (1960).
Objects
Four Saints in Three Acts, Broadway Theatre, New York City, April 16-27, 1952. Souvenir program signed by members of the cast. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Mitchell made his Broadway debut as one of six dancing angels in a revival of the 1934 Virgil Thomson-Gertrude Stein all-black opera starring Leontyne Price. The dancers were Billie Allen, Robert Curtis, Carolyn Jorrin, Louis Johnson, Mitchell, and Helen Taitt. The troupe performed at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, May 31-June 5, 1952.
Program for Purim Festival, Madison Square Garden, New York City, March 17, 1952. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Mitchell appeared in the modern dance ensemble led by Dorothy Bird and choreographed by Anna Sokolow. The Purim Festival was sponsored by the Greater New York Committee for State of Israel Bonds.
Announcement for Dance Concert: Robin Gregory, Bruce King, Tom Ribbink, Ethel Winter, Henry Street Playhouse, New York City, January 31,1954. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Mitchell, who appeared in Ribbink's Soliloquy, headed the cast of "assisting artists" with Matt Turney, an African-American member of the Martha Graham Dance Company.
Program for Arabian Nights, Jones Beach Marine Theatre, Wantagh, New York, June 24-September 11, 1954. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
A "new musical extravaganza," with choreography by Yurek Lazowski and starring (among others) the ballerina Mia Slavenska, Arabian Nights had a "Dancing Ensemble" of nearly forty. Mitchell was the first African American to dance in these outdoor spectaculars.
Caricature drawing by Doug Anderson inspired by the New York City Center revival of Oscar Hammerstein's musical Carmen Jones, May 31-June 17,1956. Reproduced from unidentified clipping. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
In addition to Mitchell, the dancers in this all-black production included Glory Van Scott, Billy Wilson, Joseph Nash, Kathleen Stanford, and Walter Nicks.
Caricature by Sam Norkin inspired by the New York City Ballet season, 1956. Reproduced from the New York Daily News. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Schedule for second and third weeks of American Dance, ANTA Theatre, New York City, May 3-22, 1955. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Mitchell appeared with the John Butler Dance Theatre, along with Glen Tetley, Mary Hinkson, Joan Skinner, Mary Anthony, and John Redlich. In addition to Mitchell and Hinkson, the festival, sponsored by the B. de Rothschild Foundation, featured a number of African-American dancers, including Janet Collins, Donald McKayle, and Matt Turney.
House of Flowers, Alwin Theatre, New York City, December 30,1954-May 21, 1955. Souvenir program signed by members of the cast. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Choreographed by George Balanchine and Herbert Ross, the Harold Arlen-Truman Capote musical House of Flowers had a stellar, all-black cast of dancers that included Alvin Ailey, Carmen de Lavallade, Geoffrey Holder, Louis Johnson, Donald McKayle, Arthur Mitchell, Walter Nicks, and Glory Van Scott. All would have an important influence on Mitchell and several on the Dance Theatre of Harlem as well.
Arthur Mitchell (left) and other cast members in House of Flowers, 1954. Photograph by Zinna Arthur, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Glory Van Scott with a movie camera, 1968. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
An actor, dancer, and model, Glory Van Scott performed with Mitchell in House of Flowers (1954) and Carmen Jones (1956). In 1965 she appeared with Carmen de Lavallade, Judith Jamison, and Cleo Quitman in Agnes de Mille's The Four Marys produced by American Ballet Theatre. Here she wears a dress designed by Katja of Sweden.
Advertisement for Ipana toothpaste featuring Arthur Mitchell, 1954. Reproduced from Ebony Magazine. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Advertisement for Belafonte: New York 19, CBS television special, November 20,1960. Reproduced from the New York Daily News. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Mitchell appeared in Pas de Quatre, with Mary Hinkson, Pat Dunn, and Julie Robinson. Robinson, a former Katherine Dunham dancer, was married to Harry Belafonte.
iPAD (with playbills and programs of Arthur Mitchell performances / individual items listed separately)
DANCING ABROAD
In the 1960s Mitchell accepted a number of engagements outside the United States, joining African-American dancers such as Billy Wilson and Sylvester Campbell who spent much of the 1960s dancing abroad. In Germany, in 1963, Mitchell danced Othello in Heinz Rosen’s The Moor of Venice and Mercutio in John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, in addition to other ballets. Unlike their American counterparts, European photographers emphasized Mitchell’s dramatic intensity and emotional expressiveness.
Objects
Arthur Mitchell with the composer Gian-Carlo Menotti, founder of the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, at his home in Mount Kisco, New York, late 1950s. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
"Le Tredici Perle del Festival di Spoleto" (The Thirteen Pearls of the Spoleto Festival), with a photograph of Arthur Mitchell and Mary Hinkson rehearsing Donald McKayle's Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder in the Piazza del Duomo, Spoleto, Italy, 1960. Reproduced from unidentified Italian clipping. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
In 1960 Mitchell helped organize a program of New American Ballets at the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto. The racially integrated ensemble included Donald McKayle, Herbert Ross, Karel Shook, and Paul Taylor (as choreographers). The dancers (in addition to Mitchell) were Pina Bausch, Mary Hinkson, Akiko Kanda, Ralph Linn, William Louther, Donald McKayle, Robert Powell, Mable Robinson, Kathleen Stanford, Dan Wagoner, and Dudley Williams.
Poster for Quarto Festival dei Due Mondi: Fogli d'Album (Fourth Festival of Two Worlds: Album Leaves), Spoleto, 1961. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Poster for Richard Strauss' opera Salomé directed by Luchino Visconti, Spoleto Festival, 1961. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Mitchell returned to Spoleto in 1961 with Akiko Kanda, a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company. He appeared in a one-act Italian play, Il Pegno, directed by Gian-Carlo Menotti, and as a dancer/choreographer with Kanda in the 1961 edition of the revue Album Leaves. He also choreographed the "Dance of the Seven Veils" for the African-American soprano Margaret Tynes in Luchino Visconti's production of Salomé.
Arthur Mitchell and Allegra Kent rehearsing the Agon pas de deux. Two photographs by Fritz Peyer, Hamburg. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. These images were probably taken during the Stravinsky Festival, Hamburgische Staatsoper, June 24-28, 1962.
Arthur Mitchell and Allegra Kent in the Agon pas de deux, Stravinsky Festival, Hamburgische Staatsoper, June 24-28, 1962. Photographs by Madeline Winkler-Betzendahl, Stuttgart. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell as Orestes, with former New York City Ballet dancer Joysanne Sidimus, in Grant Strate's Electre, National Ballet of Canada, Festival Theatre, Stratford, Ontario, 1964. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell dancing the role of Phlegmatic in Balanchine's The Four Temperaments at the Teatro Castro Alves, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, March 1967. Four photographs. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
In January 1967 the U.S. State Department, under an agreement with Brazil's Ministry of Education and Culture, sent Mitchell and the Mexican-born choreographer Gloria Contreras (then dancing with the Joffrey Ballet) to Rio de Janeiro to direct the new, federally-funded Companhia Nacional de Ballet. On March 4, 1967 the company inaugurated the Teatro Castro Alves in Salvador, Bahia, where Mitchell performed the Agon pas de deux with Alice Colino. Mitchell returned to Brazil in 1968, this time as artistic director of the Companhia Brasileira de Ballet, for which he choreographed Rhythmetron and a number of other works.
"Without Regard For Color," by Allen Hughes, New York Times, February 21,1965.
“The picture accompanying this article,” wrote Hughes, “shows Mr. Mitchell performing the pas de deux from ‘Agon’ with Allegra Kent.... [They] can dance this duet on theater stages around the world, but they cannot dance together on television in this country, at least not on commercially-sponsored shows.... Why? Television stations in the South would refuse to carry the shows, and advertisers would not like that. This means quite simply that a prejudiced minority in this country has dictatorial power over what all Americans will be allowed to see.”
PORTRAITS
Mitchell forged relationships with many photographers, and his collection is rich in images that reveal the qualities he brought to performance. Photographers were fascinated by the interplay of dark and light tonalities, the expressiveness of his hands and face, and his ability to convey vulnerability as well as a sense of play. Many of the photographs in Mitchell’s collection are unique images, and few have been displayed publicly.
Objects
Arthur Mitchell shortly after joining the New York City Ballet, 1955. Photograph by Carl Van Vechten, with a postcard from Van Vechten to Mitchell, 1956. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell in class, late 1950s. Photograph by Milton Oleaga, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Portrait of Arthur Mitchell, early 1960s. Photograph by Herbert List, Munich. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Portrait of Arthur Mitchell, ca. 1960. Photograph by Peter Basch, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Portrait series of Arthur Mitchell, 1965. Photographs by Anthony Crickmay, London. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Portrait of Arthur Mitchell, date unknown. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell jumping, 1963. Photograph by Jack Mitchell, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Photographic series of Arthur Mitchell, ca. 1960. Photographs by Peter Basch, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Born in Germany, Peter Basch was one of the foremost celebrity photographers of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as a photographer of artistic nudes.
Arthur Mitchell outside his mother's house on 152nd Street in Harlem, 1965. Photograph by Anthony Crickmay, London. Inscribed by the photographer: "You are very dramatic." Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell at his home on West 78th Street, New York City, late 1960s. Photograph by Sigrid Estrada, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell holding Mary Hinkson’s daughter, Jennifer, 1960. Snapshot. Photographer unknown. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Mary Hinkson, a member of the Martha Graham Dance Company, danced with Mitchell on the CBS television specials Tonight with Belafonte (1959) and Belafonte, New York 19 (1960); in Donald McKayle’s They Called Her Moses (CBS, 1960); New York City Ballet’s Figure in the Carpet (1960), and at the Festival of Two Worlds, Spoleto (1960). She later taught at the Dance Theatre of Harlem school.
Arthur Mitchell with Mary Hinkson’s daughter, Jennifer, in Spoleto, 1960. Snapshot. Photographer unknown. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell and Patricia Neary on the beach, 1960s. Two snapshots. Photographer unknown. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Patricia Neary, a New York City Ballet soloist, was a frequent partner of Mitchell’s in the 1960s.
Arthur Mitchell with the Chicago dance critic Ann Barzel in the 1950s. Snapshot. Photographer unknown. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
COLLECTOR
Objects
African mask, date unknown. Wood. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
African antelope mask, date unknown. Wood. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Cast iron mold with eight male figures, date unknown. Metal alloy. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
These three African objects were purchased by Mitchell in Johannesburg in 1992 during the Dance Theatre of Harlem's historic tour of South Africa.
Margaret Burroughs. Mother Africa, 2002. Lithograph on paper. Signed and dated by the artist. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
An artist, writer, poet, and arts organizer, Margaret Burroughs cofounded the Ebony Museum of Chicago, now the DuSable Museum of African American History. This is one of three lithographs by the artist in the Arthur Mitchell Collection.
Hilary Knight. Eloise, 1999. Ink and colored ink on paper. Signed, dated, and inscribed by the author: "For LIBER from Arthur Mitchell / Oh, my Lord! Arthur, (my very good friend) says we are absolutely related!" Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. Knight designed Dance Theatre of Harlem's iconic Classically American and Giselle posters, both on display in this exhibition.
1968—YEAR OF TRANSFORMATION
On April 4, 1968 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed in Memphis. His assassination, which plunged the country into grief, inspired Mitchell’s decision to found the Dance Theatre of Harlem. The company took shape in the late 1960s and made its official debut at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1971. It was one of a constellation of African-American arts organizations that came into existence in the 1960s in response to the Civil Rights and Black Arts Movements. With studios and a school in Harlem, dancers from across the African diaspora, and a repertory partly rooted in African-American and diasporic experience, the company was galvanized by a mission that fused art and social justice.
Objects
Dr. King and Coretta Scott King leading marchers, Montgomery, Alabama, March 1965. Photograph by Morton Broffman, Washington, D.C. Gelatin silver fiber print. Signed and dated by the artist. Collection Bronx Museum of the Arts, Gift of Broffman Family.
Arthur Mitchell with Suzanne Farrell and dancers of the New York City Ballet in Balanchine's Requiem Canticles, May 2, 1968. Photograph by Martha Swope, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
This one-time-only performance to Stravinsky's "Requiem Canticles" was choreographed as a tribute to Martin Luther King. It was performed at the New York State Theater a month after his assassination.
Benny Andrews. War Study #14, 1974. Oil and ink on three stretched canvas panels with painted fabric collage. Courtesy Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York City.
Benny Andrews (1930-2006) was an influential artist, activist, and educator. Growing up in segregated rural Georgia, Andrews served in the Korean War, and then studied at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He moved to New York upon his graduation in 1958, where he exhibited broadly, led art education programs (particularly through Queens College, where he taught into the 1990s), and implemented a groundbreaking model for teaching art in prisons. In 1969 he co-founded the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition, which demanded greater visibility for people of color in museums and the canon. Andrews created series of drawings, prints, paintings, and large-scale works. This painted collage expresses the chasm people felt during this tumultous time and the anguish of the nation, likened to perilously clinging to a cliff.
Vincent Smith. The Long Hot Summer (1965), First Day of School (1965), Shadows in Harlem (1965), A Moment of Supreme (1965), and Amnesty (1971). Etchings on paper. Signed and dated by the artist. Courtesy EFA Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop.
Vincent Smith (1929-2003) grew up in Brooklyn. After a stint in the Army and job in the post office, he studied at the Brooklyn Museum of Painting and Sculpture. By the late 1960s and early 1970s Smith was an active figure in the Black Arts Movement. A painter and a printmaker, he produced these intaglios at Robert Blackburn’s The Printmaking Workshop in Chelsea. They reflect not only the dizzying ambience of Harlem through closely-observed mark-making, but also key moments of the Civil Rights Movement. In 1999 Smith was commissioned by the MTA to create glass mosaics in the IRT 2/3 station at 116 Street, not far from the gallery.
Leonardo Drew. Untitled #17C, 1992. Cotton, canvas, rusted sheet metal squares. Installation comprised of four blocks. Collection Bronx Museum of the Arts, gift of Susan and Michael Hort.
Leonardo Drew (1961) was born in Tallahassee, Florida, and raised in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He attended Parsons School of Design an graduated from Cooper Union. Widely exhibited and collected, Drew is recognized for his cultural installations that are weathered, oxidized, or burnt, and employ materials often related to the African American experience: cotton, charcoal, earth, metal, and cloth. His interest in decay and regeneration is formally beautiful yet conjures long and painful histories through abstraction, as in these rusted, compressed, tense bales.
Overhead banner with Arthur Mitchell, Suzanne Farrell, and dancers of the New York City Ballet in Balanchine’s Requiem Canticles, 1968.
ARTHUR MITCHELL IN HIS OWN VOICE (wall monitor)
The following ten videos, created by the National Visionary Leadership Project (NVLP) for its Oral History Archive, are part of an extensive collection of first-hand accounts by legendary African American leaders, artists, and visionaries. (See attached list for individual videos.)
Overhead banner of the Dance Theatre of Harlem women in Louis Johnson’s Forces of Rhythm, 1970s.
BIRTH OF A COMPANY
The emergence of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, with Arthur Mitchell as its eloquent spokesman, received enormous attention in the media. DTH dancers appeared on the covers of Dance Magazine and Seventeen, and stories about the company appeared in newspapers and magazines such as Ebony, Newsweek, Time, and Vogue. Even before DTH made its official debut at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in 1971, it had made its first Caribbean tour, danced on television, and taken part in an all-star tribute to Duke Ellington.
Objects
Dance Theatre of Harlem Way. New York City street sign. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
The Garage on West 152nd Street that became the Dance Theatre of Harlem's home in 1972. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Dance Theatre of Harlem company members in front of Church of the Master, 1969. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives. The “V” or “wedge” formation was reiterated in many of the company’s early photographs and publicity.
Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook, 1970s. Photograph by Kenny Grossman, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Mitchell began studying ballet with Karel Shook in the early 1950s at the Katherine Dunham School in New York. In classes that catered to aspiring African-American professionals, Shook's inspired teaching transformed the young modern dancer into a ballet dancer. Shook became Mitchell's life-long mentor, and in 1969 the two joined forces as co-directors of Dance Theatre of Harlem. A master teacher, Shook was instrumental in developing the company's school and curriculum.
Karel Shook demonstrating tendu, Church of the Master, early 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Karel Shook teaching class, Church of the Master, early 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Mel Tomlinson and Brenda Garrett rehearsing in the DTH studios, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell rehearsing Walter Raines and Llanchie Stevenson, late 1960s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Virginia Johnson, early 1970s. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Melva Murray-White, early 1970s. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Lydia Abarca, early 1970s. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Karen Brown and Homer Bryant, early 1970s. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Boys outreach class, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Children's ballet class, 1970s. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Marcia Sells (second from left) taking class during DTH’s first summer program, June 1969. Photographer unknown. Collection of Marcia Sells
Marcia Sells, now Dean of Students at Harvard Law School, is a former DTH dancer who was instrumental in bringing Arthur Mitchell’s collection to the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University..
Patrick King (left), Francis Waite, and Donald Williams, a future DTH principal dancer, in the studio, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Brenda Mills, Arthur Mitchell's niece, sewing seat covers in the Dance Theater of Harlem costume shop for the Harlem Homecoming Celebration at Loew's Victoria Theater, 1972. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Cicely Tyson (center), with Karel Shook (left) and Zelda Wynn (right) in the Dance Theatre of Harlem costume department, 1978. Photograph by Thaddeus Govan, Jr. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
A fashion designer who dressed Josephine Baker, Dorothy Dandridge, and Hollywood's biggest starlets (and also designed the Playboy Bunny costume), Zelda Wynn became the company's chief costume designer in 1970. In addition to making costumes for numerous productions, she directed the DTH fashion program.
Poster dedicated to Arthur Mitchell for his service to the children of Washington, D.C., 1992. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Barnard College Medal of Distinction, awarded to Arthur Mitchell in 1994. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Keepers of the Flame Award—Pioneer Legacy Award, International Association of Blacks in Dance, presented to Arthur Mitchell, January 29, 2005. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Cover of Dance Magazine, November 1968. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Eleo Pomare was one of three African-American dancers invited by the magazine to discuss the artist in the community. The others were Pearl Primus and Arthur Mitchell.
Cover of Dance Magazine, March 1970. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
This was Arthur Mitchell's first solo appearance on the cover of Dance Magazine and the magazine's first feature about the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Cover photograph by Ken Duncan, New York.
Cover of Seventeen Magazine, January 1972. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Pamela Jones, a Dance Theatre of Harlem company member, was Seventeen's second African-American cover girl. Dancer Rhonda Sampson was also featured in the issue. Cover photograph by Arthur Elgort, New York.
Cover of Ballet Review 4, no. 6, 1974. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell holding a student in a lift. Cover photograph by Martha Swope, New York.
Cover of Dance Magazine, May 1975. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Dance Theatre of Harlem ballerina Lydia Abarca as the Bride in Balanchine's Bugaku. This was the first time a black ballerina was on the cover of a major U.S. dance publication. Studio portrait by Ken Duncan, New York.
Dust jacket of Arthur Mitchell by Tobi Tobias, illustrated by Carole Byard. New York: Crowell, 1975. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
This biography of Mitchell for young readers was written by Tobi Tobias, a dance critic and author of young reader books on Marian Anderson and the ballerina Maria Tallchief.
Lord Snowdon. Supermodel Iman in class with the Dance Theatre of Harlem, 1984, printed 2018. Courtesy Trunk Archive. This image was originally published in British Vogue.
DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM PUZZLE
Frank Bara. Dance Theatre of Harlem Puzzle, 1991. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
In 1991 Frank Bara, actor, artist, masseur, and puzzle-maker, unveiled an extraordinary work of folk art commemorating the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s first twenty years. Commissioned by Arthur Mitchell, Bara’s multilayered puzzle was eight feet long, had 4,000 pieces, and opened like a polyptych with five panels that told the history of the company and its many communities. At the center, in the form of a Fabergé egg, is the company’s home on West 152nd Street, and below this, in chronological order, a list of the works (and their production credits), beginning with Ode to Otis and ending with The Cape, presented between 1969 and 1989. There is a row of major benefactors, and in the surrounding green and red space the angels who guided, inspired, and championed the company—Harry Belafonte, Cicely Tyson, Jessye Norman (with a musical note), George Balanchine, Dionne Warwick, Mary Schmidt Campbell, Tania León (with a baton), Madame Karinska, Lincoln Kirstein, Michel Fokine, Jacques d’Amboise, and many others. “Karel Shook” circles the crown at the apex of the egg, and at the very top in a halo of mint green is “AM” for Arthur Mitchell.
(near left panel)
The initials MLK—for Martin Luther King—dominate the upper left, along with the bullet that killed him. Ballerina Stephanie Dabney is shown performing an iconic leap from the company’s production of Firebird, while Christina Johnson stands in arabesque. The pointe shoe at the lower left turns over to reveal company donors—the Shubert Foundation, Con Edison, Ford Motor Company, and Time Inc. Under the pink and black checkerboard lies a second checkerboard in pink and lime with Arthur Mitchell’s signature. According to Bara, many of the individual names can be combined in a way to recreate the architectural plans for each of the floors of the DTH building.
(far left panel)
This panel roughly coincides with the company’s early years. Along the bottom are its first venues—HSA (Harlem School of the Arts), Glen Tetley (who loaned his Chelsea studio to Mitchell at one point), and Church of the Master. In the upper left Mitchell leans against a map of the continental United States, which stands next to the atrium of the Guggenheim Museum, where the company made its official debut in 1971. Dancers in the shape of countries circle the panel with dots for the cities where the company appeared. Italy is the boot; Cold War Germany has a line down its middle, while Canada represents a pose from Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco. The names of Walter Raines and Susan Lovelle, two of DTH’s earliest members, are spelled out.
(near right panel)
The initials KS—for Karel Shook, Mitchell’s teacher, mentor, and DTH cofounder—dominate the upper right, along with clogs alluding to Shook’s long association with the Dutch National Ballet. Virginia Johnson, in red, takes flight (with her name written on her body), while “Photos by Lord Snowdon” pays tribute to the celebrity photographer who took many images of the company. Donors’ names appear along the curtain “legs” and on the checkerboard pieces that form the “floor.”
(far right panel)
Astrology fascinated many artists of the 1970s and 1980s, including Mitchell. Here, the signs of the zodiac bubble from a champagne flute, and astrological pyramids and skylights open to reveal the names of donors. The names of ballerina Virginia Johnson and DTH costume designer Zelda Wynn are spelled out, and one of the puzzle’s two baby grand pianos (complete with stool, pedals, and tail support) is on the upper right. Dancers circle the panel recalling the company’s numerous foreign tours.
A COMPANY AND ITS CITY
Dance Theatre of Harlem was a community of dancers with a special relationship to Harlem and New York City. Street festivals and open houses cemented the company’s bond with its uptown community, while seasons on Broadway and other locales underscored its tie with Manhattan and beyond. Marbeth’s photographs memorialize the romance between DTH and New York.
Objects
Margaret Elizabeth Schnare (known as Marbeth), 1970s. Unknown photographer. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Born in Breslau, Germany, where her father was a United States consular official, Marbeth took hundreds of photographs of the Dance Theatre of Harlem at home and on tour during the 1970s and 1980s, often photographing DTH dancers at parks and other sites around New York City. Her images reveal her intimate knowledge of the company and the bonds that made it a vibrant artistic community.
Paul Russell (left) and Roman Brooks (right) in front of poster for the Dance Theater of Harlem's first New York season, ANTA Theater, New York City, April 1974. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Poster, Dance Theater of Harlem, Second New York City Season, Uris Theatre, New York City , April 22-May 11, 1975. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Roslyn Sampson and Ronald Perry in Macy's, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Derek Williams (left), William Scott, and Ronald Perry outside Macy's, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Homer Bryant "on location" in New York City, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
A DTH dancer posing at a graffiti wall, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Crowds lined up outside Harlem's storied Apollo Theater for the Arts Exposure Program, 1976. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Paul Robeson Award, presented to Arthur Mitchell by the Actors' Equity Association, January 10, 1986. Signed by Colleen Dewhurst, President, Actors' Equity Association, and Frederick O'Neal, Chairman, Paul Robeson Committee. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Karen Brown (left) and Rhonda Sampson possibly at the Simon R. Guggenheim Museum, early 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Program for Dance Theatre of Harlem's official debut at the Guggenheim Museum, New York, January 8-10, 1971. Reproduced from archived copy of the program. Courtesy Guggenheim Museum Archives. The company performed three ballets choreographed by Arthur Mitchell—Rhythmetron, Tones, and Fête Noire.
Sheila Rohan in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Roslyn Sampson (then in her early teens) in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Crowds watching a body builders' competition at a Dance Theatre of Harlem street festival, date unknown. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Street festivals, like the company's popular "open houses," underscored Dance Theatre of Harlem's identity as a local, community institution, even as it performed nationally and internationally.
Eddie J. Shellman and student Desiré Ross, performing at a Dance Theatre of Harlem street festival, date unknown. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Dance Theater of Harlem Street Festival poster, 1994. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Actor Brook Peters, a longtime member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem Board, with actress Gloria Foster (left) and singer Dionne Warwick (right) at a gala company event. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Lord Snowdon. Cicely Tyson, 1970s, printed 2018. Courtesy Trunk Archive. Award-winning actress Cicely Tyson was an early and loyal supporter of DTH..
Virginia Johnson rehearsing with Arthur Mitchell at Columbia University as President William J. McGill looks on, 1977. Unknown photographer. Columbia University Archives.
In 1978 Columbia University and the Dance Theatre of Harlem announced the start of a collaboration between the ballet company and the university's School of the Arts. As described by Mitchell and Schuyler Chapin, dean of the School of the Arts, the company's technical department, located on the Lower East Side, would move into a university-owned building north of the campus, an arrangement that would allow Columbia students to train in the technical aspects of dance production. The projected second step of the collaboration was the establishment of workshop and dance degree programs run jointly by the School of the Arts and DTH, with the company providing teachers to the new program. "It is our hope that this will help to solve many problems of teaching dance in an academic situation," Karel Shook told the New York Times (February 23, 1978). The School of the Arts has yet to establish a dance program.
Dancing for Life, poster for the performance at New York State Theater, October 5, 1987. Designed by Robert Rauschenberg and published by Universal Limited Art Editions, Inc. Signed by Charmaine Hunter, Christina Johnson, Dudley Williams, Cheryl Mintz, Alvin Ailey, Jerome Robbins, Eliot Feld, Ashley Wheater, Lar Lubovitch, and others. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Dance Theatre of Harlem was one of thirteen dance companies to take part in this gala program, coordinated by Jerome Robbins, to benefit groups concerned with AIDS care and research. The evening's finale was the fourth movement of Balanchine's Symphony in C with dancers from American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and the Joffrey Ballet.
iPAD (with Dance Theatre of Harlem playbills and programs / individual items listed separately)
COLLABORATION AND PERFORMANCE
Objects
Lord Snowdon. Jerome Robbins rehearsing Lydia Abarca in Afternoon of a Faun, 1971, printed 2018. Courtesy Trunk Archive. In 1965 Robbins revived Afternoon of a Faun for Mitchell and Kay Mazzo. In 1971 he restaged the ballet for Lydia Abarca and Clovis Mathis.
Lord Snowdon. Lydia Abarca and Clover Mathis rehearsing Afternoon of a Faun, 1971, printed 2018. Courtesy Trunk Archive.
Lord Snowdon. Lydia Abarca and members of the Dance Theatre of Harlem rehearsing in Church of the Master, 1972. Black and white bromide print signed by the photographer. The Studio Museum in Harlem; photograph by Snowdon, copyright Armstrong-Jones, gifted by Snowdon to The Studio Museum in Harlem.
Lord Snowdon. Lydia Abarca and Clover Mathis in rehearsal, 1972. Black and white bromide print signed by the photographer. The Studio Museum in Harlem; photograph by Snowdon, copyright Armstrong-Jones, gifted by Snowdon to The Studio Museum in Harlem.
Lord Snowdon. Lydia Abarca and members of the Dance Theatre of Harlem in rehearsal, 1972. Black and white bromide print signed by the photographer. The Studio Museum in Harlem; photograph by Snowdon, copyright Armstrong-Jones, gifted by Snowdon to The Studio Museum in Harlem.
Tania León, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Tania León was a Cuban-born composer and conductor who became the Dance Theatre of Harlem's musical director in the 1970s. Tones was her first score for the company.
Tania León, piano score for Arthur Mitchell's ballet Tones, 1970. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Arthur Mitchell with Tania León and Walter Raines, 1992. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Sandra Woodall and Robert Rosenwasser. Costume designs for Alonzo King's Signs and Wonders,1995. Ink and watercolor on paper. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
William Scott, with Lydia Abarca in the background, in Geoffrey Holder's Dougla, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives. Dougla was a tour de force for Holder, who choreographed, composed, and designed the ballet.
Sheila Rohan in Geoffrey Holder's Dougla, 1970s. Photograph by Martha Swope, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Geoffrey Holder, 1970s. Photograph by Ray Fisher, Miami. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
A multidisciplinary artist whose friendship with Arthur Mitchell dated back to House of Flowers (1954), Holder brought an Afro-Caribbean flavor to several DTH works, including Belé (1973), Dougla (1974), Banda (1982), and Firebird (1982). He was married to another friend of Mitchell and the company, dancer-actress Carmen de Lavallade.
Stravinsky's Firebird, Dance Theatre of Harlem. Poster, 1982. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Choreographed by John Taras to the celebrated Stravinsky score, Firebird was one of Dance Theatre of Harlem's most successful and enduring works. Mitchell danced in several works staged by Taras for the New York City Ballet—Ebony Concerto (1960), Arcade (1963), Piège de Lumière (1964), and La Guirlande de Campra (1966).
Costume and headpiece designed by Geoffrey Holder for the Firebird, mid-1980s. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Designed by Geoffrey Holder and built by Grace Costumes in 1982, the Firebird costume went through many iterations as new performers took over the ballet's title role. This costume was worn by Charmaine [Hunter], who began dancing the part in the mid-1980s.
Virginia Johnson in Geoffrey Holder's Songs of the Auvergne, 1982. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Virginia Johnson and Mel Tomlinson in Geoffrey Holder's Belé, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Virginia Johnson in Ruth Page's Carmen and José, early 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. The ballet, which had costumes and projections by André Delfau, was first performed by Dance Theatre of Harlem in collaboration with Ruth Page's Chicago Ballet.
Lydia Abarca and Paul Russell in William Dollar's The Combat, 1970s. Photograph by Martha Swope, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Mitchell had a long relationship with William Dollar, who choreographed Four Saints in Three Acts (1952) and cast him in his 1954 ballet Concerto (1954). In addition to The Combat, originally produced by the Grand Ballet Marquis de Cuevas, the Dance Theatre of Harlem performed Dollar's Mendelssohn Concerto (1975).
Elena Carter and Paul Russell in the pas de deux from Le Corsaire, staged by Karel Shook, 1970s. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Susan Lovelle and Ronald Perry in Arthur Mitchell's Biosfera, 1970s. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. An early version of this work, with the title Convergências, was performed by the Companhia Brasileira de Ballet at the Teatro Novo, Rio de Janeiro, June 11, 1968.
Stephanie Dabney, Joseph Cipolla (center), and Mel Tomlinson in Royston Maldoom's Adagietto No. 5, mid-1970s. Unknown photographer. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University. In addition to Adagietto No. 5 (1976), Muldoom staged two ballets for Dance Theatre of Harlem—Doina and Invasion (both 1978).
Elena Carter and Joseph Wyatt in Balanchine's Bugaku, mid-1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Elena Carter and Joseph Wyatt in Miko Sparemblek's Ancient Voices of Children,1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives. The ballet's freestanding sculpture was designed by Bill Sullivan.
Augustus van Heerden in Glen Tetley's Voluntaries, mid-1980s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Mitchell's relationship to Tetley dated to the 1950s, when both were members of the John Butler Dance Theatre. When the Harlem School of the Arts closed its Dance Department in 1969, Mitchell temporarily relocated his company and school to Tetley's studio in Chelsea. The Dance Theatre of Harlem staged four of Tetley's ballets—Greening (1980), Voluntaries (1984), Dialogues (1991), and Sphinx (2001).
Glen Tetley's Dialogues, early 1990s. Photograph by Martha Swope, New York. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Allen Sampson (left), Walter Raines (in T-shirt), and William Scott in Louis Johnson's Forces of Rhythm, 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Louis Johnson, who attended the School of American Ballet in the early 1950s, danced with Mitchell in Four Saints in Three Acts (1952) and House of Flowers (1954), taught with him at Karel Shook's Studio of Dance Arts, and cast him occasionally in his early choreography. In addition to Forces of Rhythm, Johnson choreographed Wings (1974) and Soul on Pointe (1998) for Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Women of the Dance Theatre of Harlem in Louis Johnson's Forces of Rhythm, early 1970s. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
CITIZEN OF THE WORLD
Beginning with Dance Theatre of Harlem’s first performances in Spoleto in 1971, international touring made the company a global citizen. DTH visited London numerous times, frequently performing at Sadler’s Wells, and made highly acclaimed tours of Australia (1980), Japan (1981), the Soviet Union (1988), South Africa (1992), and China (2000). Foreign and national touring inspired many students to study at the DTH school.
Objects
Princess Margaret and her husband, the photographer Lord Snowdon, visiting the Dance Theatre of Harlem, 1974. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives. The little boy was the son of Marie Brooks, founder of the Pan-Caribbean Dance Company.
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, with Lord Snowdon to her right and Tanaquil Le Clercq in the box above her, at the Royal Variety Show at the London Palladium, 1974. Photograph by Marbeth, New York. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
1988 Tour of the Soviet Union
Charmaine Hunter (left) and Endalyn Taylor with the Bolshoi ballerina Nina Ananashvili, 1988. Photographer unknown. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
In Tbilisi, at a party for DTH in the home of Balanchine's brother, Andrei Balanchivadze, 1988: Djarji Balanchivadze (left), Tsiskari Balanchivadze, Londa Escadze, Arthur Mitchell, Andrei Balanchivadze, Panna Georgyevna Balanchivadze, Elizabeth Kendall, Judy Tyrus, Ruby Herd, and Marina Mitareva. Photographer unknown. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Stephanie Dabney (as the Firebird), with Frederick Franklin and Arthur Mitchell, after a performance of Firebird in Russia, 1988. Second row (from left): Augustus van Heerden and Eddie J. Shellman. Photographer unknown. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell, with Virginia Johnson and members of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, outside the Vaganova Academy in Leningrad, 1988. Photographer unknown. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Anjali Austin, Soviet Tour Diary, 1988. Collection of Anjali Austin.
Opened to the beginning of the entry for May 13, 1988, when the Dance Theatre of Harlem made its Russian debut at Moscow’s Kremlin Palace of Congresses. The entry reads in part: “Opening Night in Moscow and the performance went as planned if not better. Firebird, Voluntaries, Othello and Dougla was the show. Let me start from the beginning of the day. Nancy taught class again.... We then ‘dressed’ the entire program. The supers in Firebird are dancers from the Bolshoi, they are backstage whipping off 4 & 5 pirouettes before their entrance....[After] the performance... there was a reception... at the Intourist Hotel. It was quite nice, food & champagne flowing.... The people were very nice throughout the evening and W[illia]m Farley was there. He is a major contributor of this tour. And also the head behind the ‘Fruit of the Loom’ chain.”
1992 Tour of South Africa
Virginia Johnson (left) and Lorraine Graves with Nelson Mandela, South Africa, 1992. Photographer unknown. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell, with a toddler, performing a Zulu ritual in South Africa, 1992. Photographer unknown. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Arthur Mitchell, with Nelson Mandela, Harry Belafonte, and Cicely Tyson at a dinner in honor of Mandela at the Rainbow Pavillion, July 5, 1993. Photographer unknown. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Carly Dibakoane and students from his school assist Arthur Mitchell with a sculpture presented by him by Nelson Mendela in Johannesburg, 1992. Signed and dated “Nelson Mandela, 28.09.92.” Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Posters
Scheherazade: Dance Theatre of Harlem, 1981. Poster. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Giselle: Dance Theatre of Harlem, 1984. Poster designed by Hilary Knight. Signed by the dancers. Arthur Mitchell Collection, Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.
Dance Theatre of Harlem, City Center, Jan. 9-27, 1980. Poster, with image of Mel Tomlinson and Theara Ward in Biosfera. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Dance Theatre of Harlem, New York, poster announcing performances at Sun Plaza Hall, Tokyo, Japan, November 13-15, 1981. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Dance Theater of Harlem, An American Classic, City Center, Jan. 12-Feb. 14, 1982. Poster. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Dance Theatre of Harlem, New York, U.S.A., Kremlin Palace of Congresses, May 13, 14, and 23. Poster announcing 1988 Moscow performances of Firebird, Voluntaries, Othello, and Dougla. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Dance Theatre of Harlem, Sadler's Wells, poster announcing performances in London, November 4-9, 2002. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.
Judy Tyrus, compiler. Mounted collage of Dance Theater of Harlem programs, brochures, and announcements from the early 1970s to 2010. Dance Theatre of Harlem Archives.