Onstage company
Documented collaborators
Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) stands as a landmark in American dance, founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook as the first Black classical ballet company in the United States. Based in Harlem, New York, DTH combines rigorous technique with an accessible mission—empowering communities through performance and its Dancing Through Barriers education programs. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Robert Garland since 2022, DTH continues to expand its repertoire with Balanchine works, Garland’s own pieces, and contemporary commissions by artists like Forsythe and Bondara. The company stages bold, contemporary storytelling through post-modern urban neoclassicism to classical revivals, including the beloved Firebird.