Arthur Mitchell

Arthur Mitchell, born in 1934, American dancer, teacher, choreographer, and artistic director, the first black principal dancer in a leading ballet company, the New York City Ballet. Mitchell also established Dance Theatre of Harlem, the first major ballet company to feature black classical dancers.

Born in New York City, Mitchell began his dance training at the High School of Performing Arts in New York City. After graduating in 1952, he studied at the School of American Ballet, although his earlier training had stressed modern and jazz dance. In the early 1950s he performed with the modern dance companies of Donald McKayle and John Butler and appeared in the Broadway production House of Flowers. In 1955 Mitchell joined the New York City Ballet, and in 1959 he became a soloist with the company. George Balanchine, the company's celebrated artistic director, created a number of important roles for Mitchell, including Puck, the mercurial forest spirit in A Midsummer Night's Dream (1962), and the athletic, courtly partner in the climactic duet of Balanchine's seminal ballet Agon (1957). During the 1960s, Mitchell earned an international reputation, appearing as a guest artist with ballet companies in Canada and in Europe and serving as artistic director for the Companhia Nacional de Brazil in Rio de Janeiro.

Mitchell's performances with the New York City Ballet disproved racial prejudices that judged blacks unfit for ballet. He became committed to promoting black dancers in the professional ballet world. After he was featured in Balanchine's 1968 tribute to assassinated civil-rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., Mitchell worked to establish a black classical-dance ensemble. In 1969 Mitchell and dancer and ballet teacher Karel Shook opened the Dance Theatre of Harlem School, with the goal of training young black dancers, especially those from underprivileged backgrounds. In two years Mitchell and Shook had established a company, called Dance Theatre of Harlem. The company held a debut performance in 1971 at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City, premiering three pieces choreographed by Mitchell: Rhythmetron,Fête Noire, and Tones. The company subsequently became a world-renowned dance troupe, acclaimed for the skill and athleticism of its dancers and for the broad range of its repertoire, which includes works by Balanchine, various ballet masters of the early 20th century, and contemporary choreographers.

In addition to traditional ballets, Mitchell produced works reflecting the company members' African American heritage. Dance Theatre of Harlem's signature ballet, Giselle, was restaged by Mitchell and choreographer Frederic Franklin in 1984 as a Creole version of the romantic ballet, set in the Louisiana bayou before the American Civil War (1861-1865). Mitchell eventually lessened his duties as a choreographer in order to focus on the company's administrative needs. He received numerous awards and honors during his career, including a Capezio Dance Award in 1971, The Kennedy Center Honors in 1993, and a lifetime achievement award from the School of American Ballet in 1995.