July 15: Pas de Deux

In the first week of its residency, the company will share choreography from their Pas de Deux repertoire.

From Le Corsaire
Staged by Karel Shook after the original by Vakhtang Chabukiani
Music by Riccardo Drigo and Baron Boris Fitinhoff-Schnell 
The popular bravura showpiece Le Corsaire Pas De Deux is taken from a three-act ballet that tells a tale of love's ultimate triumph despite betrayal and disaster.  While not part of the original production of Le Corsaire presented in Paris in 1856, the Le Corsaire Pas de Deux has become one of the standards of the classical canon. The showpiece, filled with sophistication and challenging technical feats, has had many choreographers and composers. Dance Theatre of Harlem's version is based on one set by DTH co-founder Karel Shook in the 1970s. Cuban ballerina Caridad Martinez has overseen the current production.  

From La Esmeralda
Reimagined by Dylan Santos after the original by Jules Perrot
Music by Cesare Pugni
Inspired by Victor Hugo's novel, Notre Dame de Paris, La Esmeralda was choreographed in 1831. The full-length version is seldom performed in the U.S. The pas de deux is often performed as a stand-alone classical duet. Dylan Santos will explore the narrative embedded within the form.
 

July 22: Change & System

Change
Choreography by Dianne McIntyre 
Music by Traditional… Eli Fountain     
This work is inspired by women—Black, Brown and Beige—who have refashioned the neighborhood, the country, the world through their vision, courage, and endurance.  Often unsung, inconspicuous or up-front, these individuals could be called warriors for change. McIntyre was a recent guest on our virtual Hop to Broadway series, where she spoke about her career choreographing for Broadway, television and film. 

System
Choreography by Francesca Harper 
Music by John Adams 
I am a migrant. One of the many.  
Time and space conspire to bring in new generations. We show them the promised land.  
We hold the door open for them to continue moving, building and expanding their consciousness. 
 
We are the migrants, 
We are the refugees, 
We are the displaced. 
     
These are our stories. 
 
They are our gift to you. 
 

July 29: The Purple Flower

Direction and Choreography by Dr. Monica White Ndounou, John Heginbotham, in substantial collaboration with all THEA 10.57 participants.

The third and final week sees them share the development of work in incubation with Dartmouth faculty and students based on Marita Bonner's one-act play The Purple Flower. Written in 1928, this expressionist experimental drama pushes the boundaries of theatrical staging. 

The Dance Theatre of Harlem residency is funded in part by Claire Foerster and Daniel S. Bernstein 1987, the Arthur J. 1903 and Nellie Z. Cohen Fund, and the Nathan W. Pearson 1932 and Sons Fund.

Photo by Rachel Neville