Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre And Dance Theatre Of Harlem Reunite For August Wilson Center Performances

Onstage March 15-24 at the August Wilson Cultural Center, BNY Mellon presents the reunion of Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre (PBT) and Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) for a mixed bill production celebrating the diversity of talent and styles in American ballet.

PBT and DTH first shared the stage in 2017. For this encore program, each company will perform repertory signatures, and dancers from both PBT and DTH will perform together for a collaborative staging of Stanton Welch's "Orange." PBT will perform "Rubies," the sharp, sultry second movement of George Balanchine's "Jewels." DTH will perform four different ballets over two programs.

Artistic directors Terrence S. Orr, of PBT, and Virginia Johnson, of DTH, first had the opportunity to collaborate over 30 years ago. Johnson was a principal dancer when Orr staged "Fall River Legend" and "Graduation Ball" at DTH.

Both companies are celebrating their 50th Anniversary seasons.

The eight-performance run kicks off with a Private Performance and Preview Party at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 14. Event tickets start at $150 and are available at www.pbt.org. Proceeds benefit PBT School's Community Youth Scholarship program, an accessibility initiative that awards need-based scholarships to talented students between the ages of 5 and 8.

The run continues Friday, March 15, through Sunday, March 24. Tickets start at $28, and are available at www.pbt.org, 412-456-6666 or by visiting the Box Office at Theater Square.

EXTENDING THE PARTNERSHIP BEYOND THE STAGE

In addition to the performances, PBT and DTH will partner on a lineup of educational programs designed to engage with children and community members in neighborhoods throughout Pittsburgh.

Programs range from master classes for dance students to interactive demonstrations at local schools and libraries. In addition to community programming, PBT and DTH are hosting a networking mixer at PBT Studios on March 19 in association with Greater Pittsburgh Arts Council, Network for Arts Administrators of Color, SYLA Pgh., Urban League Young Professionals, Vibrant Pittsburgh and PBT's Equity Project transition team.

PBT also convened a committee of members committed to advancing diversity in the arts and have been instrumental in shaping the vision for the engagement events that will complement the program. The committee is co-chaired by PBT Trustee Dr. Melonie Nance and Dr. Umamaheswar Duvvuri - PBT School parents - as well as Ann and Leroy Metz, also a PBT trustee.

PROGRAM LINEUP

*Subject to change.

Program A
Fri., March 15 | Sun., March 17 | 2 p.m. Sat., March 23 | Sun., March 24

• "Nyman String Quartet #2" (Performed by DTH)

• "Corsaire Pas de Deux" (Performed by DTH)

• "Orange" (Performed by PBT & DTH)

• "Rubies" (Performed by PBT)

Program B

Sat., March 16 | Fri., March 22 | 8 p.m. Sat., March 23

• "Rubies" (Performed by PBT)

• "Balamouk" (Performed by DTH)

• "Orange" (Performed by PBT & DTH)

• "Harlem on My Mind" (Performed by DTH)

SHOW TIMES

• Thursday, March 14, at 6 p.m. - Private Performance & Preview Party

• Friday, March 15, at 8 p.m. (Program A)

• Saturday, March 16, at 8 p.m. (Program B)

• Sunday, March 17, at 2 p.m. (Program A)

• Friday, March 22, at 8 p.m. (Program B)

• Saturday, March 23, at 2 p.m. (Program A)

• Saturday, March 23, at 8 p.m. (Program B)

• Sunday, March 24, at 2 p.m. (Program A)

To post a comment, you must register and login.