Dance Theater of Harlem Is Bringing Back Firebird . It's Never Felt More Timely.

"First performed in 1910 by Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes and adapted by George Balachine for New York City Ballet in 1949, Firebird was inspired by a Russian folk tale. The ballet tells the story of Prince Ivan, who captures the firebird, a creature who is part bird, part woman, and then lets her go."

"After Mitchell left New York City Ballet to cofound Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1969, Balanchine suggested he adapt Firebird for his company. But where New York City Ballet's Firebird was faithful to the Russian folklore that inspired it, with Balanchine commissioning no less than Marc Chagall to create the set and costumes, Dance Theatre of Harlem's adaptation evokes a mythical Caribbean setting."

"It's a spectacle. My father had the ability to set things up so by the time the curtain went up, you were already leaning in."

Dance Theatre of Harlem's 1982 production of Stravinsky's Firebird represents a significant cultural adaptation of the classic ballet. Originally created by Serge Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1910 and adapted by George Balanchine for New York City Ballet in 1949, the ballet tells the story of Prince Ivan and a magical firebird. When Arthur Mitchell, the first Black principal dancer at New York City Ballet, cofounded Dance Theatre of Harlem in 1969, Balanchine suggested he adapt Firebird for the company. Geoffrey Holder designed the production with a mythical Caribbean setting rather than adhering to Russian folklore, creating elaborate hand-painted backdrops and costumes that transformed the ballet into a visually immersive spectacle.

Read at Harper's BAZAAR