{"id":8937,"date":"2021-01-21T23:41:07","date_gmt":"2021-01-21T23:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=8937"},"modified":"2025-04-21T07:16:25","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T07:16:25","slug":"geoffrey-holder-and-dance-theatre-of-harlem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2021\/01\/21\/geoffrey-holder-and-dance-theatre-of-harlem\/","title":{"rendered":"Arthur Mitchell’s Orbit: Geoffrey Holder and Dance Theatre of Harlem"},"content":{"rendered":"

Arthur Mitchell\/Dance Theatre of Harlem and Geoffrey Holder<\/h2>\n
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Return back to Arthur Mitchell – DTH\/ Geoffrey Holder Orbit<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Legendary dancer, actor, and choreographer Geoffrey Holder<\/a> created Dance Theatre of Harlem\u2019s classic work Dougla<\/i> in 1974. The work would quickly usurp Louis Johnson’s Forces of Rhythm<\/em> to become the companies signature work.<\/p>\n

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The late Holder drew on his Trinidadian heritage to create his masterpiece ballet Dougla<\/em>\u2014a marriage ceremony as pageant. A long-time company favorite, Dougla<\/em> is performed with live music and all of its spectacle and glory. The word \u201cDougla\u201d is used in Trinidad to refer to those of mixed South Asian and African descent.<\/p>\n

The ballet begins before it begins; while the curtain is down, the dancers stand in place as the groom leads the prayer: I believe in God. Maker of Heaven and Earth, and Myself. The whole world stinks, but I am Lovely, I am gorgeous, I am Divine.<\/em><\/p>\n

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