Founded in 1969, the Dance Theatre of Harlem has for over 50 years created a safe space for dance-related artists of all backgrounds to express themselves openly. On March 24 and 25, the travelling troupe will be hosted at the Royal Theatre, performing works of ballet by George Balanchine, Helen Pickett, William Forsythe, and Robert Garland.
Lindsey Donnell has been with the company since 2012 as a dancer, and she loves how depthless and far-reaching the art form is.
“I think it’s an art form that requires so much precision and dedication that there’s always so much more to fine tune. I love getting lost in that process; it feels so miraculous every time,” she says. “It really connects humanity in a beautiful way, and I really feel lucky for that reason.”
For Donnell, the most exciting piece in the lineup this year is The Barre Project, by William Forsythe, who is a top name in dance choreography and has worked directly with the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
“That’s been one of the most exciting works that we’ve added to our rep this year, because we got to work with William Forsythe himself,” says Donnell. “He is a choreographer who has really pushed the art form to where it is today, he’s considered a choreographic genius, and having the honour of working with him, and having his eye on us in the studio, has really been a career highlight.”
Donnell enjoys how dance creates a unique and captivating way for stories to enthrall audience members of all ages, and she takes the opportunity to push herself to be better.
“One thing that I love is really being able to tell different stories, and it’s so beautiful to see how dance affects others and the audience, so I like it as a personal challenge for myself, but I think actually what I really love about it is the way it makes people feel,” she says. “One woman described it to me as like taking a breath of fresh air, watching dance and this beautiful art form on the stage, and she was just incredibly moved. It’s like, wow, that’s so cool how it can affect so many people, and people of all ages too.”
While ballet is traditionally European, Donnell appreciates how her studio brings people of many different cultures and histories together to experience dance in an open space that fosters interpersonal relationships and creativity.
“At the Dance Theatre of Harlem, we prioritize all backgrounds, so artists of colour, choreographers, composers, that kind of thing, and I think it’s really beautiful to bring groups of people that are either marginalized or aren’t always the centre of attention into a space where I think you do just have the freedom to be you,” says Donnell. “Ballet is a traditionally European art form, so I think it’s really beautiful to be in a space where you’re encouraged to bring your cultural background into your work, and I think it makes way for a ground of creativity, and a ground of expansion, that I haven’t experienced in any other place.”
Donnell thinks that people should come to the performance to be inspired and to feel awe and wonder, and because ballet is an emotionally compelling experience.
“I think they should attend in order to feel moved. I feel like going to the theatre, and especially in dance, it’s a time to stop and pause and feel that awe, inspiration, and beauty,” Donnell says. “I think [American professor and lecturer] Brené Brown was saying that being in awe of something is one of the qualities in humans that keeps you alive, like if you’re depressed, you don’t actually feel the feeling of awe, and I think with ballet, I just think it touches your spirit and moves your soul, so I feel like that’s why people should come.”
Dance Theatre of Harlem
7:30 pm, Friday, March 24
and Saturday, March 25
$31 and up, Royal Theatre
rmts.bc.ca