The Dance Theatre of Harlem is one of the world’s leading dance institution and is a part of the New York City cultural world. From the world-class school that trains young people in classical ballet and the allied arts to the iconic ballet company, the Dance Theatre of Harlem is committed to enriching the lives of young people and adults around the world through the arts.
Now you would think that given it’s fame and high regard, I would have been to a performance. Wrong! Sad, right. So when I was invited by the ever amazing Isabel Kallman of Alpha Mom to a family matinee performance, I jumped at the chance. Although my daughter took ballet for four years but has since been disinterested since her friends moved on to other dances, I will admit that I thought my daughter might be bored but she wasn’t. She seemed enraptured by the performances especially when she saw the children who are students at the Dance Theatre of Harlem School appear during “Gloria.”
I loved the show, the beauty of the dancers along with the choreography was deliciously perfect. The dancers were amazing and certainly kept me engaged. I for one love classical music and was happy that my daughter was getting a small dose (and made me realize she needs larger doses).
Of course, given this was the Dance Theater of Harlem, with the last piece “Return” the piece integrated traditional ballet choreography with some cool music from Aretha Franklin and James Brown. Yes, James Brown and ballet do go together. It certainly came as a surprise but it got the audience going especially the kids. My daughter loved it.
Their run at the Jazz at Lincoln Center is now complete but I would so recommend taking in the next performances when they come back. It is a show for all ages. And let me say that the audience was so diverse it’s worth noting. Sadly, white and hispanics will see predominantly black performances but not vice versa.
Visit Dance Theatre of Harlem to learn more about the organization.
Disclosure: NYC Single Mom received tickets to the performance for the purposes of review and received no other compensation.
