Dance Theatre of Harlem
Performing at the National Theatre DC
Jordan Wright
September 25, 2026
DTH Company Artists Alexandra Hutchinson and Derek Brockington in Firebird (Photo/Nir Arieli).
A sell-out crowd filled the National Theatre to see this two-night only performance of Firebird by the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Introducing the evening’s performance was Jenny Bilfield, the President & CEO of Washington Performing Arts, a 50-year collaborator with the prestigious ballet company. Bilfield let us know that as a condition of his $8.5 million bequest, the company should include more classical ballet. We saw that reflected in last night’s stunning Dallas Morse Coors Legacy Performance where contemporary met classical to blow the audience out right of their seats.
In Return, the first of the three pieces, we found powerhouse contemporary dance movements in Choreographer Robert Garland’s approach to Soul music featuring familiar hits by Aretha Franklin and James Brown. Imagine if you will, interpretations of “Baby, Baby, Baby”, “Mother Popcorn”, “I Got The Feelin’”, “Call Me” and “Superbad”. The corps was clearly as down with it as the audience who cheered and applauded for every hot move.
DTH Company Artists in Robert Garland’s Return (Photo/Jeff Cravotta).
The next piece Donizetti Variations used the original George Balanchine choreography. The piece is stale – 19th century period maidens in pale blue peasant garb performing a rather toned-down version. A piece like this demands extreme perfection and one got the sense that the troupe wasn’t thrilled by it and neither was the audience who gave it a lackluster reception. One pleasant aspect was the many entrechats, which I love to see and which were executed to perfection.
DTH Company Artists in George Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations (Photo/Rachel Papo).
The final piece was set to the music of Igor Stravinsky’s Firebird and choreographed by John Taras. It had originally been performed by the troupe in a World Premiere in 1982 at New York’s City Center. It’s what everyone had come to see. The stunning brilliance of Set Costume Designer Geoffrey Holder’s orchid-inspired scrim and backdrops as well as the lavish original costume designs for the principals to include the thirteen princesses were breathtaking while costumes for the wicked Kastchei and his demonic minions were convincingly terrifying. Clearly inspired, the stellar troupe performed it to their utmost. The Firebird was sans doute what the audience had been anxiously anticipating, and they were not disappointed as you could register their appreciation clear up to the chandeliers.
DTH Company Artists Derek Brockington, Jhaelin McQuay and Company Artists in Firebird (Photo/Rachel Papo).
A final performance will take place tonight September 26th at 7:30pm at the National Theatre, 1321 Pennsylvania Avenue, Washington, DC 20004. For tickets and information call the National Theatre’s box office at 800.513.7540 or visit www.Tickets-center.com.