The executive director shares how Dance Theatre of Harlem is bringing the Caribbean reimagining of Firebird to Detroit for the first time in over 20 years.
Anna Glass runs Dance Theatre of Harlem, and she’s doing things differently. This dance company has never been about following the traditional playbook. Since Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook started it in 1969, Dance Theatre of Harlem has been proving that ballet belongs to everyone. They’ve built a world-class company, a professional studio school, and their Dancing Through Barriers program that opens doors for kids who might never have imagined themselves in pointe shoes.
What makes bringing Firebird back to Detroit so meaningful to you?
It absolutely is personal. Detroit is one of my favorite cities. The dancers will tell you that it has one of the best stages in the world, built for dance. We’re getting ready to go to Paris next, so what better city to come to than Detroit? It is a city that has embraced Dance Theatre of Harlem over the years. We love the city, and the city loves us right back. We thought it was a wonderful opportunity to show this iconic ballet to the city that we love.
How does this version differ from traditional Firebird productions?
Most versions of Firebird are set in Russia. Our ballet is situated in the Caribbean. It was created by the legendary Geoffrey Holder, a Renaissance man who was an actor, choreographer, designer and visual artist. What you will see are his spectacular designs. The scenic design and costumes were created by him. The final look of the Firebird before she ascends into the air is this beautiful feather part of her costume. It looks like something you would see in a Caribbean Day parade. All the colors and the movement, it’s just going to be spectacular.
How has Dance Theatre of Harlem’s approach to ballet evolved?
The dance steps are traditional ballet. What Dance Theatre of Harlem does that’s unique is we want to invite people to understand that this art form belongs to everyone. The way we do that is the types of ballets we put on stage, the type of music we dance to, the artists themselves, what they look like. What you are going to see are dancers that are diverse, a version of this ballet that represents something more akin to what you would see in the African diaspora. We are heavily influenced by Black culture in the work that we do.
How does Firebird embody Dance Theatre of Harlem’s founding vision?
Mr. Mitchell was the first principal ballet dancer of any major ballet organization. He created Dance Theatre of Harlem in response to the assassination of Dr. King to dispel the myth that Black people could not do ballet. He wanted to provide opportunities for young children, particularly children of color, to have access to this art form. He felt that through ballet, you learned perseverance, believing in yourself, discipline. When kids understand that they have this innate ability to do this beautiful art form, it gives young people the courage and skills to do extraordinary things in their lives.
Firebird was one of our first major ballets. Mr. Mitchell made the decision in the 1980s that the organization was ready for a spectacle. He was asking George Balanchine, who was his mentor, what ballet should I do next? He said Firebird. Mr. Mitchell wanted to infuse this traditional ballet with Black culture, which is why he enlisted Geoffrey Holder to create the look of this ballet.
How important is community engagement to Dance Theatre of Harlem’s mission?
Hugely important. It is a part of our foundation. We were born in Harlem. We started out as a school first, not as a dance company. When we come to Detroit, we’re going to be engaging a lot with young people. Oftentimes, we find that young people are not exposed to this art form, or the belief that you have to be wealthy, or thin, or of a particular race in order to participate. We like to introduce young people to this art form and continue the work that Arthur Mitchell started, which is dispelling the myth that Black people cannot be part of this art form.
What’s the artistic vision behind pairing Firebird with contemporary works?
Robert Garland learned from Arthur Mitchell that you want to bring people into the art form. Creating a program for ballet is like when you have a menu and you want to feed someone an extraordinary meal. You want the appetizer, the entree and the dessert. Because we’re an institution rooted in Black culture, we want people to understand what’s possible for ballet. We do classical work, ballets set to Radiohead, ballets set to James Brown and Aretha Franklin. Our intention is to show that this art form doesn’t have to be stodgy or snooty. It can be fun. You can walk into a theater and experience joy.
What challenges and opportunities do you see for Dance Theatre of Harlem today?
There are challenges. We operate in the nonprofit world, which is having challenges. Raising money is always a challenge. Inflation is a challenge. But the other side are opportunities. There’s opportunities in terms of how we support artists, conversations around affordability and housing. What I believe is unique to us, because we are an institution, that for decades has innovated in the space of arts and culture, there is an opportunity for us to innovate in this new world as well.
Tell us about the show. What can audiences expect?
The performances are taking place on November 15 and 16 at the Detroit Opera. The 15th is at 7:30 p.m., and the 16th is at 2:30 p.m. The evening will start with a ballet by Robert Garland, Nyman String Quartet No. 2, dedicated to Black men. We will have a ballet by Jodie Gates called Passage of Being, a beautiful statement around what it means to be human. Then we have a duet set to music by Radiohead, choreographed by Robert Binet. Robert Garland saw it on YouTube during the pandemic and invited the choreographer over to set the ballet.
Then we’re closing with Firebird. It features 34 Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers, and we’ve invited students from University of North Carolina School of the Arts. It’s a phenomenal opportunity for these young people to experience what it’s like to tour with a professional dance company. We’re really excited to share all of this with Detroit.