Forces of Rhythm Excerpts

Dance Theatre of Harlem mourns the loss of the great Louis Johnson. His ballet, "Forces of Rhythm" choreographed in 1971, became a signature piece for the Dance Theatre of Harlem Company, finding its place alongside the works of George Balanchine, Arthur Mitchell, Geoffrey Holder, and other choreographers for the fledging ballet company. This footage is from an early PBS Documentary series “Dance in America” airing on Public Television in 1977. The hallmark of the work was Johnson’s groundbreaking cross cultural pollination of the western art form of ballet, with the music and movement of African, and African-American culture. We'd love to hear your memories and stories with Mr. Louis Johnson. Please share them in the comment section.