Introduction Origins of Black Dance The Minstrel Shows Dance in Musicals  Harlem Renaissance Florence Mills Buddy Bradley Black American Dance  Black American Dance Companies Black British Dance  British Dance Companies

Arthur Mitchell in Agon

Arthur Mitchell

In the 1950s and 60s Arthur Mitchell challenged the myth that black dancers were unsuited to ballet. He grew up in the Harlem district of New York and when he was 18 won a scholarship to the School of American Ballet. On graduation in 1956, he joined New York City Ballet and danced with them for 15 years. George Balanchine, the choreographer and founder of the company, created many roles for him, including the ballets Agon and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Dance Theater of Harlem

Dance Theater of Harlem

Mitchell had a great belief in the power of education to help children develop their potential. He wanted children within the black community to have more opportunities. In 1968, shortly after Martin Luther King's assassination, Mitchell founded a school called the Dance Theatre of Harlem. The school was a huge success and in 1971 the company, also known as Dance Theatre of Harlem, gave its first performances. It has since performed to great acclaim all over the world. The repertory includes works by major 20th century choreographers, including Fokine, Nijinska, Balanchine and Jerome Robbins. Mitchell also commissioned works, some of which explored the origins of black dance.

Arthur Mitchell teaching

Alvin Ailey’s Revelations

Alvin Ailey Dance Company

Born in Texas in 1931 in a poor rural area, Ailey was inspired to dance after seeing Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo as a schoolboy. He trained at Lester Horton Studio in New York and later with Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey and Katherine Durham. He supported himself during his studies by dancing in Broadway musicals and teaching. During this time he was lead dancer in Jamaica, a musical choreographed by Jack Cole.

Hidden Rites

Roots of the Blues

In 1958 Ailey founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. The company’s twin aims were to express black cultural heritage, and enrich American dance. His choreography showed a highly individual mix of elements taken from primitive dance, modern dance and jazz dance. His most famous and popular work is probably Revelations.

Balanchine, George

George Balanchine was a seminal 20th century choreographer. After leaving Russia he choreographed for the Diaghilev Ballet, transforming classical ballet into a new 'cool' 20th century classicism. In 1933 he went to America and in 1948 formed New York City Ballet. For them he developed a recognisably American style of ballet, grafting an energy and inventiveness onto the clarity and purity of classical ballet.

King, Martin Luther

Martin Luther King (1929-1968) was a campaigner for civil liberties in racist America of the 1950s and 1960s. King, an ordained Christian minister, advocated non-violent protest. He was a skilled and moving orator famous for his 'I have a dream?' speech. In 1964 he became the youngest ever recipient of the Nobel peace prize. Aged only 39, he was assassinated in 1968 by James Earl Ray.