Choreography by Jodie Gates

Back by popular demand, Passage of Being premiered as part of the DTH’s 2025 New York Season. A circular, and physical work, Passage of Being unfolds in three cinematic movements set to the evocative music of Oscar-nominated composer Ryan Lott (“Everything Everywhere All at Once”). Shifting perspectives and the bittersweet beauty of time’s swift journey are brought to life through Gates’ expressive choreography and inventive lighting by Michael Korsch with elegant costumes by Martha Chamberlain. At its heart of this elliptic ballet is the majestic and haunting Son Lux song, “Don't Say It's Too Late.” Gates weaves these elements into a poignant reflection on love, connection, and the power of the present.

Choreography by Robert Garland

Return is a soulful, high-octane celebration to the timeless sounds of James Brown and Aretha Franklin.

Return was choreographed for Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 30th anniversary by DTH Artistic Director Robert Garland. Garland calls the ballet’s style “post-modern urban neoclassicism – an attempt to fuse an urban physical sensibility and a neoclassical one.” Staged for 12 dancers to songs performed by James Brown and Aretha Franklin, Return is “… a witty fusion of ballet technique and street gait whose irony toward rhythm-and- blues had the audience in stitches.” (The New York Times)