Dance Theatre of HarlemHigher Ground

Renowned in the ballet world, the company makes its Soraya debut with the Los Angeles premiere of Robert Garland’s Higher Ground (2022) on Nov 14. Higher Ground is a joyous, critically acclaimed piece that combines classical ballet and vernacular Black dance to sharpen the social commentary found in six influential Stevie Wonder songs from the 1970’s. Opening the performance is William Forsythe’s Blake Works IV which was commissioned and created specifically for the company in 2023. A part of Forsythe’s continuously evolving series, “The Barre Project,”Works IV was choreographed to highlight the diverse and formidable talents of the ensemble. The work derives its inspiration from the propulsive and rigorously structured electro-soul songs of British singer and composer James Blake. Dance Theatre of Harlem is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim, encompassing a world-class company, a professional studio school, a leading arts education program – Dancing Through Barriers®, and community engagement activities. Each component of Dance Theatre of Harlem carries a solid commitment towards enriching the lives of young people and adults around the world through the arts. Founded in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell and Karel Shook, Dance Theatre of Harlem was considered “one of ballet’s most exciting undertakings” (The New York Times, 1971). Shortly after the assassination of The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Mitchell was inspired to start a school that would offer children— especially those in Harlem, the community in which he was born — the opportunity to learn about dance and the allied arts. Now in its fifth decade, Dance Theatre of Harlem has grown into a multicultural dance institution with an extraordinary legacy of providing opportunities for creative expression and artistic excellence that continues to set standards in the performing arts. Anna Glass has been involved in the performing arts as both an artist and arts administrator for over twenty-five years. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. In May 2013, she began her own endeavor dedicated to preserving and documenting the legacies of prominent Black artists and cultural institutions, and reinterpreting those legacies onto multiple platforms, including live performance. Ms. Glass produced Carmen de Lavallade’s solo show Carmen de Lavallade: Life of a Legend for Jazz at Lincoln Center and prior to that As I Remember It– an intimate portrait of this legendary artist, which toured across the country. Anna has also served as a consultant providing strategic planning and fundraising guidance to various non-profit arts organizations across the country and has served as an advisor for the DeVos Institute of Arts Management supporting New York City non-profits. Anna currently serves on the Board of Directors for the International African American Museum in Charleston, SC. Anna received her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College and her JD from the University of Dayton School of Law. She is also a licensed attorney in the State of New York. Anna lives in Harlem with her husband and daughter. Artistic Director Robert Garland was a member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company from 1985-1998, achieving the rank of principal dancer. After creating a work for the DTH School Ensemble, Arthur Mitchell invited Mr. Garland to create a work for The Dance Theatre of Harlem Company and appointed him the organization’s first Resident Choreographer. Before becoming DTH Artistic Director, he was Director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem school. In 2023, Mr. Garland was appointed the Artistic Director of Dance Theatre of Harlem. His works for the company include Higher Ground, New Bach, Return, Nyman String Quartet No. 2, and The Cookout among others, many are in his signature postmodern-urban-neo-classical style. In addition to choreographing several ballets for DTH, Mr. Garland has also created works for New York City Ballet, Britain’s Royal Ballet, Oakland Ballet and many others. His commercial work has included music videos, commercials and short films, including the children’s television show “Sesame Street”, a Nike commercial featuring New York Yankee Derek Jeter, the NAACP Image Awards, a short film for designer Donna Karan, and the “Charmin Cha-Cha” for Proctor and Gamble. Mr. Garland holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Juilliard School in New York City.