Virginia Arts Festival presents

Dance Theatre of Harlem

March 20-22, Chrysler Hall, Norfolk
Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Firebird returns to Norfolk!

March 24, Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News

Tickets on sale September 23 at vafest.org

Virginia Arts Festival will present the legendary Dance Theatre of Harlem in four public performances and a student matinee this spring. This marks the Festival’s sixth presentation of the internationally acclaimed company, which first appeared under the Festival’s auspices in 2002. “It is an honor to welcome back this great dance company,” said the Festival’s Perry Artistic Director Robert W. Cross. “Their electrifying performances embody a living history of ballet in our country. The pioneering spirit that marked the company’s founding and their unwavering commitment to artistic excellence make this a must-see.”

 

A groundbreaking phenomenon upon its creation in 1969, Dance Theatre of Harlem broke barriers in classical ballet. Arthur Mitchell founded the company after making history in 1955 as the first black principal dancer at New York City Ballet. Mitchell was the famed protégé of George Balanchine—the eminent choreographer and co-founder of the School of American Ballet. Inspired by the civil rights movement and spurred by the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Mitchell committed himself to making a difference in his community by creating a haven for dancers of all colors who craved an opportunity to excel in the classical ballet world.

 

He began by teaching dance in a converted garage in Harlem, leaving the doors open so passersby could see what was going on. He relaxed the dress code to encourage enrollment by young men who preferred to dance in jean shorts and T-shirts. To accommodate his growing classes, he partnered with his former ballet master Karel Shook to help him run the school and direct what would eventually become Dance Theatre of Harlem. The company would grow to have a lasting impact on American ballet and become a beacon for black dancers worldwide. It was a pioneer in the dance world, integrating stages and spreading the art of ballet through outreach programs at home and abroad.

 

Now a major presence in the ballet world, the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company tours nationally and internationally, presenting a powerful vision for ballet in the 21st century. The 20-member company performs a forward-thinking repertoire that includes treasured classics, neoclassical works by George Balanchine, as well as innovative contemporary works that celebrate Arthur Mitchell’s belief that ballet belongs to everyone. Through performances, community engagement, and arts education, Dance Theatre of Harlem shares its message of empowerment through the arts.

 

Under the direction of Artistic Director Robert Garland, Dance Theatre of Harlem will perform two programs in their 2026 Virginia Arts Festival engagement reflecting the company’s versatility and the extraordinary gifts of their phenomenal dancers. March 20 - 22 in Norfolk's Chrysler Hall, the program features the long-anticipated revival of the company's signature classic, Firebird, reimaging the classic Russian folk tale of love's triumph over evil in a lush, Caribbean setting. Remounted after 20 years, John Taras' masterful choreography, Stravinsky's iconic score (1945 version), performed live by the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, married with Geoffrey Holder's dazzling costumes and vibrant sets, Firebird is a feast for the senses. Other repertoire on the program includes Donizetti Variations, a lively, effervescent series of dances set to Donizetti’s Don Sebastian opera; Symphony No. 1, a thrilling take on one of the country’s foremost composers Adolphus Hailstork’s music; Take Me With You, a contemporary pas de deux set to the music of Radiohead.

 

The iconic Dance Theatre of Harlem Firebird was first performed in 1982 and captivated audiences, prompting The New York Times reviewer to write: “It does one thing other versions do not – send its audience into a whooping spell of delirium.”

 

The March 24 performance in Newport News’ Ferguson Center for the Arts will feature a program including New Bach, a neoclassical ballet created by Dance Theatre of Harlem Artistic Director Robert Garland and first performed in September 2001, immediately after 9/11; Passage of Being, which premiered this year is a circular, and physical piece unfolding in three cinematic movements set to the evocative music of Oscar-nominated composer Ryan Lott “Everything Everywhere All at Once”; and Return, a soulful, high-octane celebration to the timeless sounds of James Brown and Aretha Franklin.

 

Tickets for the Norfolk and Newport News performances go on sale September 23 and will be available online at vafest.org, by phone at 757-282-2822, or at the Festival Ticket Office, 440 Bank St, Norfolk (Monday-Friday, 10 am – 5 pm).

 

In addition to the four public performances, Dance Theatre of Harlem will thrill hundreds of area school children in a student matinee on Friday, March 20 at Chrysler Hall, and these legendary dancers will welcome participants of all ages to a community class – date to be announced.

 

NORFOLK

Dance Theatre of Harlem

with Virginia Symphony Orchestra 

Friday, March 20 & Saturday, March 21 at 7:30 pm

Sunday, March 22 at 3:00 pm 

Chrysler Hall

 

Donizetti Variations*

Choreography: George Balanchine

Music: Gaetano Donizetti

 

Symphony No. 1*

movements 1 and 3

Choreography: Robert Garland

Music: Adolphus Hailstork

 

Take Me With You

Choreography: Robert Bondara

Music: Radiohead

 

Firebird*

Choreography: John Taras

Music: Igor Stravinsky

 

*with Virginia Symphony Orchestra

 

NEWPORT NEWS

Dance Theatre of Harlem
Tuesday, March 24 at 7:30 pm

Ferguson Center for the Arts

 

New Bach

Choreography: Robert Garland

Music: Johann Sebastian Bach

 

Passage of Being

Choreography: Jodie Gates

Music: Ryan Lott; Son Lux; Rob Moose; yMusic

 

Return

Choreography: Robert Garland

Music: James Brown; Alfred Ellis; Aretha Franklin; Carolyn Franklin

 

 

About Virginia Arts Festival

Since 1997, under the direction of Perry Artistic Director Robert W. Cross, the Virginia Arts Festival has presented great performers from across the globe. Renowned artists who have performed at the festival include Itzhak Perlman, Renée Fleming, Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Olga Kern, Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Miami String Quartet, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Stewart Copeland, Audra McDonald, Kelli O’Hara, Patti LuPone, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre and Mark Morris Dance Group. The festival has presented numerous world premieres and new productions of classical music, dance, and theatre from some of today’s most influential composers, choreographers and playwrights. Van Cliburn gold medalist Olga Kern serves as the Festival’s Connie and Marc Jacobson Director of Chamber Music and award-winning Broadway music director Rob Fisher serves as the Festival’s Goode Family Artistic Advisor for Musical Theater and American Songbook. Each season, performances from the Virginia Arts Festival are broadcast nationwide on American Public Media’s Performance Today. The festival’s arts education programs reach tens of thousands of schoolchildren each year through student matinees, in-school performances, artist residencies, master classes and demonstrations. Visit vafest.org and follow the Virginia Arts Festival on social media @VaArtsFest.

 

Media Contact
Alli Pereira
apereira@vafest.org
757-282-2822