Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 2025 Vision Gala to Honor Darren Walker
The annual Vision Gala takes place on Friday, April 11, 2025, at New York City Center and the Ziegfeld Ballroom.
By: Josh Sharpe Mar. 31, 2025
Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) will host its annual Vision Gala on Friday, April 11, 2025, at New York City Center and the Ziegfeld Ballroom. This year’s gala will honor Ford Foundation President Darren Walker with the Arthur Mitchell Vision Award, presented by filmmaker and producer Ava DuVernay. The evening will celebrate Mr. Walker’s extraordinary contributions to the arts and social justice.
The gala will also feature a powerhouse lineup of honorary chairs, including dance and film legend Ben Vereen, TV host and legal analyst Sunny Hostin, art curator and writer Isolde Brielmaier, actress Bianca Lawson, acclaimed visual artist Mickalene Thomas, and trailblazing model and activist Bethann Hardison.
Notable guests in attendance will include prominent figures from the arts, entertainment, and philanthropy sectors. Guests will enjoy performances by the Dance Theatre of Harlem company, including a special presentation of We Are All Brown – Commemorating Brown v. Board of Education with an oration by Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund. The evening will conclude with dinner and dancing at the iconic Ziegfeld Ballroom, with entertainment by DJ D-Nice and Kenny Burns. The Vision Gala Performance will begin at New York City Center at 6:30, followed by the dinner and dancing at Ziegfeld Ballroom at 8:00. For Vision Gala tickets and more information, visit here.
The Vision Gala is a fundraiser supporting Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 55 year legacy, impacting its 2025 season filled with world premieres and company premieres alike. Additionally, the support will impact the DTH School which continues to inspire a diverse pool of young dancers, providing them with a safe and nurturing space to develop their skill and talent through training and education.
ABOUT DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM
Dance Theatre of Harlem is a leading dance institution of unparalleled global acclaim, encompassing a world class company, a professional studio school, a leading arts education program - Dancing Through Barriers®, and community engagement activities. 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 was considered “one of ballet’s most exciting undertakings” (The New York Times, 1971).
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 fifth 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.
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