BWW Interviews: DTH's Dance Master Keith Saunders Talks Ballet and The Legacy of Harlem

Ailey, of course, is a modern company. They do not dance en pointe. But when the Dance Theatre of Harlem acquired the production rights of the Lark Ascending in 2012, we put the ballet en pointe. And, when our artistic director, Virginia Johnson, went to Judith Jamison to ask about putting the ballet en pointe, Ms. Jamison agreed wholeheartedly.

It's a tone poem, Lark Ascending. The music is by Ralph Vaughan Williams, the English composer. It's a ballet for six couples. We've been doing it since the return of our company in 2012.

The rest of our program includes the act three pas de deux in Swan Lake, popularly known as The Black Swan pas de deux.

The last ballet on the program is a ballet called Return choreographed, once again, by our resident choreographer Robert Garland. Return is a ballet that's set to songs performed by James Brown and Aretha Franklin.

BWW: That's exciting!

Keith Saunders: Yes, it is.

BWW: So how did you prepare the dancers for their roles?

Keith Saunders: As a touring ballet company, we rehearse and teach the repertoire to the dancers and then take it out on the road. The company that you will see in Houston came together at the beginning of August 2012. We returned after a period of 8 years without having our company. We're at the end of our second season. This is the Dance Theatre of Harlem of the 21st century. It's a smaller, leaner company. We have eighteen dancers. Since we have brought this company together, we've continued touring nationally and internationally and building a new repertoire. Houston will see a mix of previous Dance Theatre of Harlem repertoire choreographed in 1999. They'll see the new ballet Gloria which was premiered on the very first performance of the returned company in 2012. They'll see Mr. Ailey's Lark Ascending, and they'll see a classic and classical pas de deux in the Swan Lake act three pas de deux.

BWW: Do you have any advice for aspiring dancers and dance professionals?

Keith Saunders: Study. Study. Study. There are no magic bullets. There are no secrets. This profession takes a great deal of focus, dedication and hard work on a daily basis. I like to quote the Nike slogan: "Just do it." You have to do it in a very focused and disciplined way on a daily basis if you want to succeed and dance professionally. Beyond that, I would advise young dancers today to get as wide and eclectic a dance experience as they can. Study different forms. Don't limit yourself to ballet. Study modern. Study jazz. Study tap. Ballet, of course, is the strongest technical base. But dancers today must be well-versed in many, many different styles and forms of dance. Each informs the other. Each can help make the other stronger and make a beautiful, well-rounded dancer in today's environment.

BWW: Do you have any words of encouragement for aspiring artists?

BROOKLYN: You can go see The Dance Theatre of Harlem on July 31 at 7:30 pm for CELEBRATE BROOKLYN! The show will be at Prospect Park Bandshell. Performance is FREE. Doors open at 6:30pm.

The program at CELEBRATE BROOKLYN! will include Donald Byrd's Contested Space (2012), Robert Garland's Return (1999), and a sleek and evocative restaging of Frederic Franklin's 1984 masterpiece of classical rigor Lark Ascending by Keith Saunders, Kellye Saunders, and Virginia Johnson.

BROOKLYNITES can also see Dance Theatre of Harlem at the SUMMER 2014 STREET FESTIVAL on Saturday, August 9. The street festival will start at noon and end at 7 pm. It will be held at WEST 152ND STREET BETWEEN AMSTERDAM AND ST. NICHOLAS AVENUES. Performances are FREE! It features Dance Theatre of Harlem School Summer Intensive Students and Special Guest Artists.