Dance Theatre of Harlem Company Artists

DEREK BROCKINGTON

Born: Chicago, IL and raised in Holland, MI. Training: Grand Rapids Ballet School, Interlochen Arts Academy, Ballet West, and Pennsylvania Ballet Summer Intensives. Professional Experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (eight season), Cincinnati Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet.  Repertoire includes works by Claudia Schreier, Robert Garland, Stanton Welch, George Balanchine, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Darrell Grand Moultrie. Along with DTH’s Alexandra Hutchinson, he coordinates DTH social media.

MICAH BULLARD

Born: Houston, TX. Training: The Dance Center of Baytown, University of Oklahoma School of Dance (BFA 2019), Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Ballet Program, Dance Theatre of Harlem Summer Intensive, Texas Ballet Theater Summer Intensive. Professional Experience: Oklahoma City Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem (fifth season). Repertoire includes works by: Robert Garland, George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Geoffrey Holder, Helen Pickett, Nacho Duato, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Alejandro Cerrudo, Merce Cunningham, Amy Hall Garner, Trey McIntyre, Colin Connor, Stanton Welch, Claudia Schreier and Tiffany Rae-Fisher.

JULIAN COTTRELL

Born: Fort Worth, TX. Training: The University of Oklahoma School of Dance, Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts, Texas Ballet Theater School. Professional Experience: Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Colorado Springs Philharmonic, Dance Theatre of Harlem (first season). Repertoire:  Works by George Balanchine, Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Robert Garland, Penny Saunders, Robin Mineko Williams, Yury Yanowsky, and Ryan Nye. Recipient of the OU School of Dance Ovation Award and the Corp de Ballet International Basil Thompson Memorial Scholarship.

KOUADIO DAVIS

Born: Oneonta, NY.  Training: Holbrook-Wade School of Dance, Fokine Ballet, New York State Summer School of the Arts with Daniel Ulbricht, NYCB. Carolyn Adams.  Alvin Ailey, Nutmeg Ballet, Charlotte Ballet, Alonzo King Lines, French Academie of Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Springboard Danse Montreal. 2019 Graduate of Ellison Ballet. Professional Experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (seventh season). Awards: Youth America Grand Prix in 2017 and 2018, where he and his partner won second and then first place in the contemporary Pas de Deux category. Professional Experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (Fifth season).

ARIANA DICKERSON

Born: Pensacola, FL, raised in Dayton, OH. Training:  Interlochen Arts Academy, and summer intensives with Alonzo King Lines, Boston Ballet, Indianapolis Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet.  Education: Indiana University Bloomington Jacobs School of Music, Bachelor of Science in Ballet and Media Advertising.  Professional experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (third season). Repertoire includes works by Justin Peck, Dwight Rhoden, Ulysses Dove, Pytor Ilych Tchaikovsky, and George Balanchine. Ariana is the recipient of the IU Premier Young Artist Award, the Brown Girls Do Ballet Scholarship for Change, Interlochen Young Artist Award, and the Interlochen Arts Academy Fine Arts Award.

LINDSEY DONNELL

Born:  Midland, TX. Training: La Petite Dance Studio, Midland Festival Ballet under Susan Clark. Education: cum laude graduate of Butler University, degrees in Dance-Arts Administration and Journalism. Professional Experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (thirteenth season), Nashville Ballet (trainee). Repertoire includes works by George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, William Forsythe, Ulysses Dove, Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa, Geoffrey Holder, Donald Byrd, Dianne McIntyre, and Robert Garland. Awards and Honors: featured artist at opening of One World, Trade Center, TEDx Broadway 2016, performer at Kennedy Center Honors 2016 & 2022, & White House performance for Michelle Obama.

CARLY GREENE

Born: Flower Mound, Texas. Training: The Ballet Conservatory, The Ailey School, Jacob’s Pillow Contemporary Dance Ensemble, Summer Intensives with Houston Ballet, The School of American Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Colorado Ballet. Education: Magna Cum Laude graduate of Fordham University, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and Bachelor of Arts in Digital Technology and Emerging Media. Professional Experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (third season). Repertoire included works by George Balanchine, Alvin Ailey, Geoffrey Holder, Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa, Jennifer Archibald, Silas Farley, Helen Simoneau, and Ethan Colangelo. Carly is a two-time YAGP New York Semi-Finalist and was a recipient of the Dance Council of North Texas Scholarship and the Alvin Ailey Artistic Scholarship.

ALEXANDRA HUTCHINSON

Born: Wilmington, DE. Training: The Washington School of Ballet, Wilmington Academy of Dance, and summer intensives with Alvin Ailey, Alonzo King, Carolina Ballet, Ballet Chicago, and Nashville Ballet 2. Education: Bachelor of Science in Ballet, Indiana University, Jacobs School of Music.  Professional Experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (eighth season), Nashville Ballet.  Repertoire includes works by George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Stanton Welch, Robert Garland, Helen Pickett, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Nacho Duato, Paul Vasterling, Septime Webre and Michael Vernon. Alexandra is the recipient of The Pierians Foundation Incorporated 2018 Emerging Young Artist Award, Virginia Johnson Scholar, Washington School of Ballet Professional Training Program tuition stipend, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Along with Derek Brockington, she coordinates DTH social media.

ALEXANDRA RENE JONES

Born: Indianapolis, IN. Training: Indianapolis School of Ballet and Indiana University Ballet Theater. Summer Intensives with Pacific Northwest Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Philadelphia Ballet, and Ballet Rhode Island. Ballet Rhode Island; Professional Experience: Rhode Island Women’s Choreography Project; Indianapolis Ballet (Guest Artist); Dance Kaleidoscope (Guest Artist), Dance Theatre of Harlem (third season). Repertoire includes works by George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Jerome Robbins, Antony Tudor, Sasha Janes, Theresa Jimmerson (Fervers), Michael Vernon and Yury Yanowsky. Alexandra is the recipient of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Premier Young Talent Scholarship & Music Faculty Award. Alexandra is also featured in the book “People of Indiana University”.

KHEN KURULKAR

Born: Yavne, Israel. Training: Thelma Yellin High School of the Arts under the mentorship of Ballet Master Elie Lazar, “Maslool & Hamisgeret Professional Dance Program professional dance program. Khen also  studied  break dancing  for 5 years with world renowned Bboy Potter. Professional experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem, 1st season, Vitacca Ballet (4 seasons) Khen has performed as a Guest Artist in the, US,  Israel & Japan as guest artist. Repertoire: Includes works by George Balanchine, Garrett Smith, Elie Lazar, Micaela Taylor, Robyn Mineko Williams, Sean Aaron Carmon, Maddie Hicks, Autumn Eckman, Tina bhondstet, Helene Simoneau, Marius Petipa, Martha Graham, Benjamin Harkarvy, Goyo Monterro, Roy Assaf, Barak Marshall, Ohad Naharin, and Jiří Kylián. Awards &* honors: Israel’s Ministry of Culture and Sport Excellent Dancer.

MICHAELA MARTIN-MASON

Born: Philadelphia, PA.  Training: Alvin Ailey School, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, Indiana University Ballet Theater.  Professional Experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (First Season). Repertoire: Works by Justin Peck, Michael Vernon, George Balanchine, Christina Claessens & Sasha Janes.

JHAELIN MCQUAY

Born: Los Angeles, CA. Training: Debbie Allen Dance Academy, The Rock School of Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Ballet West, Bolshoi School. Professional Experience: Ballet West, Cincinnati Ballet, The Oscars, Mariah Carey, Chris Brown, guest artist and master teacher for the DAP Festival, Dance Theatre of Harlem (first season).  Repertoire: Bill Forsythe, Val Caniparoli, George Balanchine, Alexander Ekman, Juri Kylián, Jodie Gates, Don Quixote, Giselle, Valse Fantasy, Walpurgisnacht, Cinderella, Fredrick Ashton, Twyla Tharp, Ohad Naharin, La Fille Mal Garde, Anabelle Lopez Ochoa, Petit Mort, Blake Works II, Jewels, Cacti, Minus 16, Alejandro Cerrudo.

SEAN MILLER

Born: Atlanta, GA.  Training: Paris Opera Ballet School, CNSMD of Paris, Sarasota Cuban ballet school.  Professional Experience: Miami City Ballet 2021-2025, Dance Theatre of Harlem (first season).  Repertoire: Works by Balanchine, Ratmansky, Robbins, John Cranko, Lopez-Ochoa, Jamar Roberts, Claudia Schreier, Durante Verzola, Petipa, Bournonville, Saint-Leon.  Awards and honors: YAGP Toronto Grand Prix Award 2020, YAGP 2021 Finals top 12, YAGP 2021 International Finals 2nd place pas de deux.

KIRA ROBINSON

Born: Atlanta, GA. Training: Atlanta Ballet Centre for Dance Education.  Professional Experience: Oklahoma City Ballet II, Dance Theatre of Harlem (second season). Repertoire includes Falling Angels by Jiří Kylián,; Antique Epigraphs by Jerome Robbins, Train of Thought by Yury Yankowski, Serenade by George Balanchine, The Nutcracker, and  Alice in the Wonderland by Septime Webre.

KAMALA SAARA

Born: Los Angeles, CA. Training: Yuri Grigoriev School of Ballet, School of American Ballet. Professional Experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (fifth season). Kamala is a recipient of the Grow Annenberg Fellowship and a full scholarship for the School of American Ballet. She received 1st place Award for Training and the Performance Scholarship at the 2018 Bolshoi Ballet Academy and placed 2nd in the Classical category at the 2016 Youth American Grand Prix Paris, France.

MICHAEL SHAVELLE

Born: Los Angeles, CA. Training: Up Studio under the direction of Alicia Head, the Colburn School under the direction of Silas Farley, Dance Theatre of Harlem School, Barnard College Dance Department.  Professional experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (first season guest artist). Repertoire: George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Merce Cunningham, Silas Farley, Antonio Carmena, Houston Thomas, Durante Verzola, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Da’Von Doane, Emily Kikta.

INGRID SILVA

Born: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Training: Projeto Dançando Para Não Dançar, Escola de Dança Maria Olenewa, and Centro de Movimento Debora Colker. Education: Universidade da Cidade. Professional experience: Dance Theatre of Harlem (thirteenth season), Grupo Corpo(apprentice), Armitage Gone! Dance. Repertoire includes works by Arthur Mitchell, Donald Byrd, George Balanchine, Dianne McIntyre, John Alleyne, Darrel Grand Moultrie, Francesca Harper, Robert Garland, Carol Armitage, Deborah Colker, Rodrigo Pederneiras and Annabelle Lopez-Ocha. In 2017 Silva was the first African Brazilian to be on the cover of Pointe Magazine and appeared on the cover of Vogue Brasil November 2020. She is the Founder of @PodHer & Co Founder of @blacksinballet.

DELANEY WASHINGTON

Born: San Francisco Bay area. Training: Lise la Cour’s LaCademy, The Ailey School/Fordham University, and Jacob’s Pillow Summer Program 2021 under the direction of Helen Pickett and Milton Myers. Professional Experience: Palm Beach Dance Festival, Dance Theatre of Harlem (fifth season). Repertoire includes works by Dwight Rhoden, Helen Simoneau, Yusha Marie-Sorzano, Maurya Kerr, Pedro Ruiz, and Andre Zachery. Delaney is the recipient of the Alvin Ailey Artistic Scholarship.

ETHAN WILSON

Born: Houston, TX. Training: Chamberlain School of Ballet, Booker T Washington HSPVA , Miami City Ballet School, Jacobs’ Pillow Summer Program. Professional experience: Guest Artist, Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem (first season). Repertoire includes works by Durante Verzola, Alexei Ratmansky, and Margarita Armas.

DAVID WRIGHT

Born: Ft. Polk, Louisiana. Training: Infiniti Performing Arts Center, Indiana Ballet Conservatory, Orlando Ballet School. Professional Experience: Orlando Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem (fifth season). Repertoire: Jorden Morris’ Moulin Rouge, Val Caniparolis’ Lamberna, Orlando Ballet’s Nutcracker, and Carmina Burana. David was a finalist at Beijing International Ballet and Choreography Competition 2019.

ROBERT GARLAND (Artistic Director)

Robert Garland was a member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company achieving the rank of principal dancer.  After creating a work for the DTH School Ensemble Arthur Mitchell invited Robert Garland to create a work for The Dance Theatre of Harlem Company and appointed him the organization’s first Resident Choreographer. Prior to becoming DTH Artistic Director he served as Director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem school.

In addition to choreographing several ballets for DTH Mr. Garland has also created works for New York City Ballet, Britain’s Royal Ballet, Oakland Ballet, and most recently San Francisco Ballet.  His commercial work has included music videos commercials and short films including the children’s television show Sesame Street a Nike commercial featuring New York Yankee Derek Jeter the NAACP Image Awards a short film for designer Donna Karan and the “Charmin Cha-Cha” for Proctor and Gamble. Mr. Garland holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from the Juilliard School in New York City.

ARTHUR MITCHELL (Co-Founder)

Arthur Mitchell is known around the world for creating and sustaining Dance Theatre of Harlem, the internationally acclaimed ballet company he co-founded with Karel Shook in 1969. Following a brilliant career as a principal artist with the New York City Ballet Mr. Mitchell dedicated his life to changing perceptions and advancing the art form of ballet through the first permanently established African American and racially diverse ballet company.

Born in New York City in 1934 Mr. Mitchell began his dance training at New York City’s High School of the Performing Arts where he won the coveted annual dance award and subsequently a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet.  In 1955 he became the first male African American to become a permanent member of a major ballet company when he joined New York City Ballet. Mr. Mitchell rose quickly to the rank of Principal Dancer during his fifteen-year career with New York City Ballet and electrified audiences with his performances in a broad range of roles.  Upon learning of the death of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and with financial assistance from Mrs. Alva B. Gimbel, The Ford Foundation, and his own savings, Mr. Mitchell founded Dance Theatre of Harlem with his mentor and ballet instructor Karel Shook.

With an illustrious career that spanned over fifty years Mr. Mitchell was the recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors a National Medal of the Arts a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship the New York Living Landmark Award the Handel Medallion the NAACP Image Award and more than a dozen honorary degrees.

Karel Shook (Co-Founder) played a key role as teacher and mentor to African American dance artists in New York in the 1950s. In addition to co-founding Dance Theatre of Harlem with Arthur Mitchell in 1969 he also was a ballet master choreographer and author. Born in 1920, Mr. Shook was a native of Renton Washington. Encouraged to study ballet at age 13, he was a protégé of Nellie Cornish and received a scholarship to the Cornish School of Allied Arts in Seattle. While his performance career was brief, he appeared on Broadway and danced with the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and New York City Ballet. Mr. Shook’s brief performance career led to teaching and choreographing mainly in Europe but also in New York. In the early 50s he opened Studio Arts one of the few dance studios in the city where African Americans could study ballet. Among his students were Carmen de Lavallade, Pearl Primus, Geoffrey Holder, Louis Johnson, Alvin Ailey, and Arthur Mitchell who first came to him at age 17. Mr. Shook left New York in 1959 to become the ballet master of the Dutch National Ballet where he was when his former student Arthur Mitchell asked him to return to New York to help create the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Mr. Shook was an advocate of the universality of classical ballet. His book Elements of Classical Ballet explores the development of classical ballet in such countries across the globe as China Turkey Iran Japan Cuba and Mexico. In 1980 he was awarded the United States Presidential Award for “Excellence and Dedication in Education.”

JUAN CARLOS PEÑUELA (Rehearsal Director)

A native of Cali Colombia, Juan Carlos Peñuela began dancing at the age of 12 with Incolballet, a ballet-centered secondary school.  After graduation Mr. Peñuela was invited by Artistic Director Gloria Castro to join Ballet de Cali Colombia’s National Company as a soloist where he performed in a variety of leading roles in contemporary works as well as classical pieces. Mr. Peñuela has danced with Ballet Arizona, Dance Theatre of Harlem Pennsylvania Ballet Maximum Dance Ballet Gamonet Chamber Dance Project, and Ballet NY.

Juan Carlos has served as guest Ballet Master and Repetiteur with Compania Colombiana de Ballet – Incolballet in Colombia, Chamber Dance Project, Lexington Ballet, The Ajkun Ballet Theatre in New York City, Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theatre, Ena Ballet Company in Japan, & Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts International Summer Intensive in Kent CT. In 2011 he was invited to Malaysia where he taught at their international festival, restaged Don Quixote, and coached artists from all over the world for their International Gala of the Stars.

From 2014 to 2018 Juan Carlos held the position of Ballet Master with Ballet Hispanico in New York City as well Senior Ballet Teacher for their School of Dance.  He has served as a faculty member at Joffrey Ballet School, Marymount Manhattan Collage Ballet, Academy East in New York City, Alvin Ailey, and as a guest teacher at The Juilliard School and Dance Theatre of Harlem’s professional company.

Mr. Penuela holds a Romana’s Pilates certification and teaches Pilates designed for dancers. In 2011 he became certified in The American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum. During the summer of 2013 he was invited to teach in Italy as a faculty member of Alvin Ailey School. Since 2017 he has taught at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet summer program. In 2014 and 2017 he attended the CPYB teacher’s workshop and 2017 was featured in the August edition of Dance Teacher Magazine.  For the last 7 years he has been invited to Panama City as guest teacher and as adjudicator to Danza Activa Competition and the Ecuador Danza Ciad competition. Juan Carlos continues to return, as a guest teacher, to Columbia where his journey began.

ANNA GLASS (Executive Director)

Anna Glass has been involved in the performing arts as both an artist and arts administrator for over twenty-five years. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, recently named an “American Cultural Treasure” by the Ford Foundation and recent recipient of $18.5 million combined gifts from the Mellon Foundation, Ford Foundation, and MacKenzie Scott and Dan Jewett – the largest gift amounts in DTH’s history. Together with Artistic Director Virginia Johnson, Anna co-launched a collaborative initiative addressing racial inequity in ballet – The Equity Project. In May 2013, she began her own endeavor dedicated to preserving and documenting the legacies of prominent Black artists and cultural institutions, and reinterpreting those legacies onto multiple platforms, including live performance. She recently produced Carmen de Lavallade’s newest solo show Carmen de Lavallade: Life of a Legend for Jazz at Lincoln Center and prior to that As I Remember It– an intimate portrait of this legendary artist, which toured across the country.

Anna has  served as a consultant providing strategic planning and fundraising guidance to various non-profit arts organizations across the country and as an advisor for the DeVos Institute of Arts Management supporting New York City non-profits. Anna currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association of Performing Arts Professionals and the International African American Museum in Charleston, SC. Anna received her undergraduate degree from Oberlin College and her JD from the University of Dayton School of Law. She is a licensed attorney in the State of New York. Anna lives in Harlem with her husband and daughter.