The Virginia Arts Festival, in partnership with American Evolution, has commissioned a new ballet from Dance Theatre of Harlem.
This internationally acclaimed, history-making company returns to the Moss Arts Center with Passage, a moving program created by Claudia Schreier, an award-winning young choreographer who has drawn attention and commissions for new work from American Ballet Theatre, the Vail Dance Festival, and more.
Created for 12 dancers and performed in three parts, Passage is set to a new score composed by Jessie Montgomery, whose music has been hailed as “wildly colorful and exploding with life” by the Washington Post.
The new ballet’s world premiere performances in Norfolk; Washington, D.C.; and Blacksburg are signature events of American Evolution, marking the 400th anniversary of historical events in Virginia that continue to define America, including the arrival of the first recorded Africans to English North America and the recruitment of English women in significant numbers to the colony, a pivotal year in the history of Virginia and the nation. The new ballet will express in abstract the fortitude of the human spirit, celebrating the unvanquished spark within that must prevail. Join the celebration of Dance Theatre of Harlem’s historic 50th season, and be among the first to see this new work.
Now a singular presence in the ballet world, Dance Theatre of Harlem tours nationally and internationally, presenting a powerful vision for ballet in the 21st century. The 17-member, multi-ethnic company performs a forward-thinking repertoire that includes treasured classics and neoclassical works by George Balanchine and resident choreographer Robert Garland, as well as innovative contemporary works that use the language of ballet to celebrate African American culture. Through performances, community engagement, and arts education, the company carries forward Dance Theatre of Harlem’s message of empowerment through the arts for all.
For ticket information visit https://artscenter.vt.edu/performances/dance-theatre-harlem.html
