Alberta Ballet welcomes Dance Theatre of Harlem for a highly-anticipated show
By Ansharah Shakil, February 11 2025—
If dance is a language, then ballet is the kind that has historically carried certain exclusive expectations of what people speak it. Multi-ethnic ballet company Dance Theatre of Harlem has sought to fight against those expectations since it was first founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook. The historic company will be making its debut with Alberta Ballet at the Jubilee Auditorium from Feb. 13-15.
Company artist Lindsey Donnell has been with Dance Theatre of Harlem for 13 years, and discussed her passion for showcasing Black stories and Black culture in art forms such as dance.
Though it has undergone changes since its inception, Dance Theatre of Harlem remains a hub for celebrating diverse talent. Before co-founding the company, Mitchell had an illustrious career himself — he was the first African-American to be promoted to principal dancer with a major ballet troupe like the New York City Ballet.
“He saw how much the art transformed his own life,” Donnell said. “That was what he wanted to do in his own community, which was Harlem.”
Donnell was determined to pursue dance from a young age.
“Growing up I knew how competitive the field was for anybody, let alone dancers of colour,” she said. “But I was committed to keep going as long as I could, as long as there were open doors.”
Her source of inspiration for dancing is being present in the moment, something she sticks by even more after learning the Latin root word for inspiration — spiro, or to breathe.
“I think a lot of the time dance companies can seem a little more like museum pieces, which is wonderful, going to see Starry Night [for instance] is beautiful every time,” Donnell said. “But being able to be an incubator for new works, and as I said, being able to prioritise and uplift people of colour is so important in today’s climate.”
For students interested in dance, she added, “Believe in yourself and be open to your journey, no matter what that may be. Stay curious, stay hungry, stay open.”
The program at Alberta Ballet will consist of four parts to four sets of music, starting off with Nyman String Quartet No. 2., moving to the Radiohead-set Take Me With You, continuing with George Balanchine’s Pas de Dix and ending with Return, which celebrates tunes of artists James Brown and Aretha Franklin. The music of each piece is uniquely tailored to cater to a number of tastes.
“Music has always affected my soul. My parents always joke that even in the womb when I would hear music I would start moving around so I really think it’s something ingrained in me,” Donnell said.
She described the program as covering a range of classical to neoclassical and somewhat contemporary, all with a diverse flair characteristic to Dance Theatre of Harlem productions. She noted that Return usually has audiences dancing in their seats, while the other parts each have their own merits, whether it be beautiful string quartet music or an execution of contemporary dance that illustrates the dancers’ personalities.
“[Pas de Dix] brings all the opulence and regality that I feel like classical ballet celebrates,” she added. “Usually audience members almost gasp when the curtain comes up … and I think that’s a really important and beautiful feeling for people of colour.”
Donnell joked that as a dancer, she tries to handle everything with grace, something that shone clearly through her discussion on understanding dance as an art and how she would like the audience of the program to feel.
“I want them to feel inspired, in awe. I hope that they can take a moment of peace from the program. I hope they feel a whole range of emotions because I think that’s what it is to be alive,” she said.
For students who would like to attend, discounted RUSH tickets are available on-site one hour prior to performance.
“Most people I meet that have come to a [Dance Theatre of Harlem] show leave saying, ‘I didn’t know ballet could be like that and I didnt know how much I would enjoy it,’” Donnell said. “With that in mind I feel like everyone should come. Art ignites the mind. Especially for people at a university level, why not open yourself up and see something really cool?”
More information and tickets can be found on Alberta Ballet’s website.