In partnership with the Virginia Arts Festival, American Evolution commissioned a new ballet from the world-renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem. The piece that is titled “Passage” was created by Claudia Schreier, an award-winning choreographer who has drawn attention and commissions from the American Ballet Theatre, the Vail Dance Festival, and more. The work in three parts for 12 dancers was set to a score composed for the 2019 Commemoration by Jessie Montgomery, whose music has been hailed as “wildly colorful and exploding with life” (The Washington Post). The new ballet reflected the themes of the commemoration and expressed, in abstract, the fortitude of the human spirit, while celebrating the unvanquished spark within that must prevail. Dance Theatre of Harlem Artistic Director Virginia Johnson hailed the opportunity to create such a meaningful work by stating, “We are delighted to join in this collaborative effort with the Virginia Arts Festival and the 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution, and honored to add this new work to the Dance Theatre of Harlem repertoire.”
Dance Theatre of Harlem was supported through the generosity of Sentara Healthcare/Optima Health, Richard S. Reynolds Foundation, Virginia Tech-Carilion Partnership, and Inova Health System.