TAMPA, Fla. — During the height of the Civil Rights movement, ballet performer and choreographer Arthur Mitchell created the Dance Theatre of Harlem. He made history as the first Black principal dancer at New York City Ballet and built a company for dancers of all colors to train and excel with the notion that ballet belongs to everyone.
Keenan English is a dancer for Dance Theatre of Harlem and says, “DTH was founded in 1969 with those principles and we still ring true to those because we are still a company that showcases that art is accessible to everyone.”
English started with DTH as a child, training with the company at The Kennedy Center. He says he fell into dance as a passion and career, naturally.
“I was attending a musical theater camp and there was quite a bit of choreography for the show and the choreographer noticed that I picked up choreography pretty quickly. They approached my mom about maybe taking ballet lessons, and I said, ‘Sure, I’ll give it a try.’”
From training as a child to joining the DTH company, English says he loves to bring enthusiasm for the art to other young dancers.
English says, “I was always measured upon my talent, versus the color of my skin.”
He brought his skills to Tampa Bay for a DTH performance at the Straz Center and a master class for students in the community.
“It holds a special place in my heart because that’s how I got started. I remember those feelings of how I felt when someone came in my school and showed me the artform and how I felt, how empowered I felt that I can do it,” English explains.
Tamonia Holley is a dance student at Academy Prep Center of Tampa and says the class with English helped her explore new genres of dance and gain confidence.
"It helps me explore through the music and I can use my emotions to help with the movement to guide me through it," Holley said.