Dance Initiative

Charleston Gaillard Center and the International African American Museum Present
Dance Theatre of Harlem

With musicians from the Charleston Symphony

Friday, October 20 & Saturday, October 21 2022 | 7:30pm

Dance Theatre of Harlem’s newest ballet, co-commissioned by Charleston Gaillard Center and the International African American Museum!  Punctuated by Dance Theatre of Harlem’s signature style fusing a modern interpretation of the classical art form, the two evening performances will feature live orchestral accompaniment as well as original and reimagined music inspired by the life and times of jazz luminary Hazel Scott.

Dance Theatre of Harlem is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim, encompassing a professional touring company, a leading studio school, and a national and international education and community outreach program. 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 is considered “one of ballet’s most exciting undertakings” (The New York Times). 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 sixth decade, Dance Theatre of Harlem has grown into a multi-cultural dance institution with an extraordinary legacy of providing opportunities for creative expression and artistic excellence that continues to set standards in the performing arts. Dance Theatre of Harlem has achieved unprecedented success, bringing innovative and bold new forms of artistic expression to audiences in New York City, across the country and around the world. 

Complexions Contemporary Ballet Star Dust: From Bach to Bowie

Friday, January 27, 2023 | 7:30pm

“This was simply one of the most exciting performances I’ve seen on the dance series, less a rock ballet than a rock concert…”

– The Washington Post

“Companies like Complexions are game-changing: they’re forging a path for what ballet can be instead of what it historically has been.” 

– The Guardian

Founders Dwight Rhoden and Desmond Richardson, armed with a rich Alvin Ailey lineage and a cadre of 18 spectacular dancers, have re-envisioned ballet through technical precision, athletic prowess, and sheer passion. Their blockbuster hit, STAR DUST: From Bach to David Bowie, honoring two musical icons, has rocked the dance world and will make your spirits soar! 

About Complexions Contemporary Ballet 
Complexions was founded in 1994 by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden and the legendary Desmond Richardson with a singular approach to reinventing dance through a groundbreaking mix of methods, styles, and cultures. Today, Complexions represents one of the most recognized and respected performing arts brands in the World. Having presented an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement on 5-continents, over 20-countries, to over 20-million television viewers, and to well over 300,000 people in live audiences, Complexions is poised to continue its mission of bringing unity to the world one dance at a time.