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IMPRESSIONS FROM PARIS: Dance Theatre of Harlem at the Palais des Congrès, Paris

By Ann Moradian
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Published on April 6, 2026
Alexandra Hutchinson in "Firebird." Photo: Rachel Papo

Dance Theatre of Harlem 

Return by Robert Garland 

Music: James Brown, Alfred Ellis, Aretha Franklin, Carolyn Franklin 

Costumes: Pamela Allen-Cummings 

Lighting: Roma Flowers  

Take Me With You by Robert Bondara 

Music: Radiohead 

Dancers: Lindsey Donnell, Micah Bullard 

Donzetti Variations by George Balanchine 

Music: Gaetano Donizetti 

Costumes: Katy A. Freeman 

Lighting: Andrea Sala 

Firebird by John Tara 

Music: Igor Stravinsky 

Sets and costumes: Geoffrey Holder 

Lighting: Clifton Taylor 

Featured Dancers:  Alexandra Hutchinson (Firebird), Derek Brockington (Young Man), Kamala Saara (Princess of Unreal Beauty), David Wright (Prince of Evil) 

Palais des Congrès, Paris 

February 26-28, 2026 

Dance Theatre of Harlem in Return. Photo by Jeff Cravotta

Dance Theatre of Harlem has returned to France after 40 years, and Paris was thrilled. One cannot separate what Dance Theatre of Harlem represents from what it does. Celebrating a diversity of body types and prioritizing black and brown bodies in the world of ballet, this school and company were established in 1969 as a social-political statement that is no less relevant today: “Ballet belongs to everybody.” This would not have been a popular perspective in the Royal Courts during the Italian Renaissance where it all began, nor in the Academy established by Louis XIV in the 17th century (which later became the Paris Opera Ballet) — but the local crowd was all for it! 

Artistic Director Robert Garland’s Return (1999) was the most successful work of the evening, blending ballet, funk, soul and urban dance to music by James Brown, Aretha Franklin, Alfred Ellis and Carolyn Franklin. Suspended ronde de jambe en l’air-pirouette sequences turn seamlessly into finger-snapping struts. The men move with sensual body ripples and power through the air with leaps aiming to wow. The women’s legwork is tight and bright, yet their point shoes don’t stop them from digging into the earth to gyrate hips in celebration of the beauty of the female bum. It is like ballet, gymnastics, Soul Train and TikTok mixed all together. The audience roared its approval.  
 

Micah Bullard and Kamala Saara of Dance Theatre of Harlem in Take Me With You. Photo by Jeff Cravotta

Robert Bondara’s Take Me With You (2016) to Reckoner by Radiohead, is performed by Lindsey Donnell and Micah Bullard. This duet has beautiful moments, like soutenu turns that reverse pivot on a dime or lifts that wrap back on themselves like Iris petals. I was sorry that George Balanchine’s Donzetti Variations (1960) felt drab and stilted after Return and Take Me With You, and that the costumes were far from flattering.  
 

Ariana Dickerson and Micah Bullard of Dance Theatre of Harlem in Firebird. Photoby Nir Areli

But New York audiences are already familiar with these works. John Taras’ Firebird (1982), on the other hand, has been out of production for over 20 years. Michael Fokine’s original version of the ballet to Igor Stravinsky’s beautiful score was created for Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, premiering in Paris in 1910. Taras’ version is bright and festive, with sets and costumes by Geoffrey Holder that give it a vibrant Caribbean feel.  

While I do understand why the Young Man, performed elegantly by Derek Brockington, seems to be dressed in white underwear and socks for much of the piece, Alexandra Hutchinson’s red and orange mini-tutu places her apart — an exotic Bird-of-Paradise. The Princess, performed by Kamala Saara, and the Beautiful Maidens wear diaphanous gowns that swirl through space like liquid paint. The opulent robes that the chorus wears at the end are magnificent. These dancers are passionate and move powerfully in space. I would love to see them develop more opposition in their technique so their power could be directed through space, bringing it and them more to life. 

In an interview on Arts24, Hutchinson highlighted the importance of “telling black stories through movement,” while Donnell commented on the value of sharing who they truly are “in a way that is non-confrontational.” Which is why I think that Return and Firebird work for this company and the other two pieces fall short. It would be good to see new choreography created for this company that speaks of today’s black stories, of which there are surely many that need to be told.