ChromaDiverse

ChromaDiverse 501(c)(3) building an inclusive future for dance by making its rich histories discoverable, searchble, and accessible to communities everywhere.

Something wonderful is happening at ChromaDiverse. The future of dance preservation depends on who we empower today. Men...
06/02/2026

Something wonderful is happening at ChromaDiverse. The future of dance preservation depends on who we empower today. Mentorship is at the heart of our work, and watching our internship team learning is incredibly exciting. They are gaining hands-on experience in digital archiving, preserving history, storytelling, building skills that they can carry forward with them. We are very proud of their progress as archivists, the care they tend to materials with, and creativity they bring to work every day! Bravo and thank you, interns!

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Photo Credit: Judy Tyrus

Every image holds a story These images, inspired by a moment from Arthur Mitchell’s early work, Tones, came to signify a...
05/11/2026

Every image holds a story

These images, inspired by a moment from Arthur Mitchell’s early work, Tones, came to signify an iconic pose, captured time and again by various photographers throughout the years.

Photos 1-2
Dance Theatre of Harlem Company. Photo credit: Marbeth. Courtesy of ChromaDiverse, Dance Theatre of Harlem Book Extras.

Photos 3:
Arthur Mitchell rehearsing the dancers before their premiere NYC performance at the Guggenheim Museum, 1971. Photo credit: Martha Swope. Courtesy of ChromaDiverse, Dance Theatre of Harlem Book Extras.

Photo 4:
Dance Theatre of Harlem dancers on the steps of the Hispanic Society in Harlem, 1975. Photo credit: Marbeth. Courtesy of ChromaDiverse, Dance Theatre of Harlem Book Extras.

05/01/2026

Franz Schubert’s Death and the Maiden, a string quartet, was inspired by the composer’s struggle with his mortality, characterized by the piece's rising and receding volume and a stark contrast drawn between its more lyrical and dramatic moments.

Robert North’s Death and the Maiden, a choreographic work that was premiered by London Contemporary Dance Theatre in 1980, which is distinct from the 1937 version choreographed by Andrée Howard for Ballet Rambert, took this compelling, complex struggle between Death and its quarry to the stage with a “knotted Grahamesque gutsiness,” the SF Examiner reported at the time.

Photo credit: Erin Leedom in Death and the Maiden by Robert North (music by Schubert), performed with Oakland Ballet Company, 1983/1984 season. Courtesy of Oakland Ballet Legacy Project.

Warm congratulations to Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Ingrid Silva on her retirement from the company! From her origins in R...
04/17/2026

Warm congratulations to Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Ingrid Silva on her retirement from the company! From her origins in Rio de Janeiro to an illustrious international career that will continue to thrive, Ingrid’s artistry has had an enduring influence on DTH and the global dance community. We honor her remarkable journey and are excited for what’s to come.

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Ingrid Silva in Harlem On My Mind, Dance Theatre of Harlem, 2017. Photo credit: Kent G. Becker, Courtesy of ChromaDiverse, DTH Book Extras

Ingrid Silva in Pas de Dix, Dance Theatre of Harlem, 2014. Photo credit: Judy Tyrus, Courtesy of ChromaDiverse, DTH Book Extras

Ingrid Silva in Sunday Matinee, Dance Theatre of Harlem. Photo credit: Judy Tyrus, Courtesy of ChromaDiverse, DTH Book Extras

04/17/2026

Illuminating the voices of company alumni is essential to preserving dance history. Help us to promote these stories and keep them thriving by supporting the Oakland Ballet Legacy Project (https://secure.qgiv.com/for/obclegacyprojectfund/) today. Thanks to a generous donor, your donation in any amount will be matched through June 30, 2026, doubling your impact as we continue to save dance legacies.

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Video Credit:
David Blood, Ben Barnhart, Patricia Johnson-Vierra, Judy Tyrus, Valerie Stewart, Jeffrey Hughes, Howard Sayette, Paulo Manso de Sousa

The first of these photos shows Elena Carter and Joseph Wyatt in Dance Theatre of Harlem’s rendition of Paquita. What st...
03/24/2026

The first of these photos shows Elena Carter and Joseph Wyatt in Dance Theatre of Harlem’s rendition of Paquita. What stands out about DTH’s performance of this well-known, classical ballet is that it broke tradition: dancers wore flesh-toned tights rather than the conventional pink ones, complemented by brilliant orange and yellow tutus designed by Carl Michel. Staged by Frederic Franklin and coached by both him and the famed Alexandra Danilova—both of whom are shown in the following two images—these snapshots remind us how Dance Theatre of Harlem used the traditional tutu as a vessel for innovation, honoring ballet’s lineage while diversifying the stage.

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First Photo: Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Elena Carter and Joseph Wyatt in Paquita.
Second Photo: Commander of the Order of the British Empire Frederic Franklin, Alexandra Danilova, Arthur Mitchell, Karel Shook.
Third Photo: Alexandra Danilova and Joseph Wyatt.

Photo credit: Marbeth, Courtesy of DTH Book Extras, ChromaDiverse.

📸Adam James and Calvin Shawn Landers in Fete Noire, Dance Theatre of Harlem, choreography by Arthur Mitchell, costumes b...
03/20/2026

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Adam James and Calvin Shawn Landers in Fete Noire, Dance Theatre of Harlem, choreography by Arthur Mitchell, costumes by Zelda Wynn, décor by Bernard Johnson.

Photo credit: Martha Swope, Courtesy of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, DTH BookExtras.

“Behind the Curtain” Everyone has their own way of prepping before a performance. If you’ve ever hung out backstage befo...
03/19/2026

“Behind the Curtain”

Everyone has their own way of prepping before a performance. If you’ve ever hung out backstage before the house lights dim, you know it’s less of a serene preparation area and more of a chaotic ecosystem of coping mechanisms.

Does your company have these?

â—ľ The Pacer: They walk the perimeter of the stage with the intensity of a caged tiger, muttering counts under their breath.

â—ľ The Late Arriver: They are currently in their dressing room, one eyelash on, one off, yet somehow they arrive on time and manage not to knock anyone over.

◾ The Ritualist: Whether it’s knocking on wood or crossing their chest, if their routine is broken, the performance is doomed.

◾ The Method Actor: They aren't just playing a villain; they are the villain. If they stare at you with Lizzy Borden energy while you’re just trying to find your water bottle, stay calm.

See Before and After the Curtain Opens.

To help us save and share these backstage moments, donate to ChromaDiverse: chromadiverse.org/donate

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Alexandra Jacob and Samuel Wilson in Contested Space, choreography by Donald Byrd. Photo credit: Judy Tyrus, DTH Book Extras, ChromaDiverse.

The ChromaDiverse Digital Archivist Internship introduces students to the world of digital archiving through hands-on wo...
03/18/2026

The ChromaDiverse Digital Archivist Internship introduces students to the world of digital archiving through hands-on work with rare dance history materials, from photographs and programs to press archives. Interns gain real professional skills—digitizing collections, adding metadata, and learning collaborative workflows—while contributing to the preservation of important cultural history.
Along the way, they build confidence, explore future career paths, and help transform the legacies of organizations like Oakland Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem into accessible digital archives. Our paid internship also ensures that students from diverse backgrounds can participate and grow through meaningful archival work.

You can help ChromaDiverse train the next generation of archivists and cultural workers by making a donation at chromadiverse.com/donate. Your gift in any amount has an immense impact.

Read More: https://chromadiverse.org/internship-program/

A tutu, too!📸Top: Elena Carter in Le Corsaire.Photo: Martha Swope.Bottom: Stephanie Dabney in Firebird.Photo: Martha Swo...
03/17/2026

A tutu, too!

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Top: Elena Carter in Le Corsaire.
Photo: Martha Swope.

Bottom: Stephanie Dabney in Firebird.
Photo: Martha Swope, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Courtesy of ChromaDiverse, DTH Book Extras

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