Former DTH dancers form group.

[On Pointe]

Nice piece with photos  on former dancers from the early days of DTH in the New York Times:

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/17/arts/dance/dance-theater-of-harlem-pioneers.html?smid=url-share

I did think it was a bit unfair regarding Misty Copeland and Virginia Johnson.  And while the article cites Debra Austin and Aesha Ash at NYCB,  there's no mention of Cynthia Lochard,  Myrna Kamara or Andrea Long,  or Anne Benna Sims and Nora Kimball at ABT.  (Not to mention Llanchie Stevenson,  a DTH pioneer who converted to Islam,  gave up ballet,  married and had seven children!)

[Helene]

And there was this:

Quote

[Rohan] was 27 when she joined the company, already married and hiding from Mitchell that she was a mother of three young children for fear it get her kicked out. When she eventually confessed a year later, he got mad, insisting he would have increased her salary if he’d known she had mouths to feed.

The photos are wonderful.

[lmspear]

On 6/18/2021 at 7:31 PM, On Pointe said:

I did think it was a bit unfair regarding Misty Copeland and Virginia Johnson.  And while the article cites Debra Austin and Aesha Ash at NYCB,  there's no mention of Cynthia Lochard,  Myrna Kamara or Andrea Long,  or Anne Benna Sims and Nora Kimball at ABT.  (Not to mention Llanchie Stevenson,  a DTH pioneer who converted to Islam,  gave up ballet,  married and had seven children!)

I'm surprised the article totally avoids mentioning fellow DTH alum Theresa Ruth Howard.  Her Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet website  https://mobballet.org/index.php/about-us/  is phenomenal and the NYT even did an article on her last August. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/arts/dance/theresa-ruth-howard.html

 

Edited June 20, 2021 by lmspear
Fix typo.

[Helene]

5 hours ago, lmspear said:

I'm surprised the article total avoids mentioning fellow DTH alum Theresa Ruth Howard.  Her Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet website  https://mobballet.org/index.php/about-us/  is phenomenal and the NYT even did an article on her last August. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/06/arts/dance/theresa-ruth-howard.html

 

I am, too.  I attended part of an online Zoom conference she organized, and one of the best takeaways was the often ignored Black foundational teachers:  most of the dancers interviewed had their early training in neighborhood schools.  Ballet training doesn't start the moment a student joins a pre-professional program.

[Drew]

An interesting, moving, and enjoyable read...and what a striking portrait of Mitchell's huge presence, on-stage and off.