Art of the Day: Dance Theatre of Harlem honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
NYSCA grantee Dance Theatre of Harlem pays tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a new video featuring young performers. King's assassination 50 years ago inspired the founding of the company by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook.
Dance Magazine writes, "Channeling the impact that Dr. King's death had on Mitchell, DTH put together this moving video, directed by Daniel Schloss, choreographed by company member Da' Von Doane and starring some familiar (and new!) faces. The video begins with a group of young dancers, who gather around a TV to hear former president Lyndon B. Johnson announcing Dr. King's assassination on April 4, 1968.
As Billy Porter's 'Keep Moving' begins to play, the kids use dance as an outlet while other historical moments mixed with clips from DTH's early days flash across the TV. Eventually the kids are joined by the current DTH company members for a full-on dance session as the TV in the studio zooms in on former First Lady Michelle Obama saying: 'Through dance, they have told the stories of who we were, who we are and who we can be.'"
Read more and watch here.
NYSCA supports Dance Theatre of Harlem through our Dance and Special Arts Services Programs.
