Rabat will host the first-ever Moroccan performances of the Dance Theatre of Harlem on October 2 and 3, when the renowned New York-based company takes the stage at the Royal Theatre of Rabat for two evenings of classical and contemporary dance. The performances are also part of the company’s return to Africa more than 30 years after its last appearance on the continent.
The program features four works spanning different styles and musical worlds: George Balanchine’s Donizetti Variations, the contemporary and intimate Take Me With You, set to Radiohead’s “Reckoner,” Hailstork Symphony No. 1, and Return, performed to music by James Brown and Aretha Franklin.
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Founded in New York in 1969 by Arthur Mitchell, the first Black principal dancer of the New York City Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem has played a distinctive role in the history of American ballet for more than five decades.
The company began as a school in Harlem before developing into a professional dance company. Its artistic identity has combined classical ballet with contemporary choreography, while its founding mission sought to open opportunities in classical dance to artists who had long been underrepresented in major ballet institutions.
Over the years, Dance Theatre of Harlem has performed at major international venues, including the Royal Opera House in London, where it made its debut in 1981. Its production of Creole Giselle later earned a Laurence Olivier Award.
The company last performed in Africa in 1992, when it visited South Africa at the invitation of Nelson Mandela. Its Rabat performances therefore mark its return to the continent after more than three decades.
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The Moroccan stop is part of Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 2026-2027 international season. The company’s official tour schedule lists performances in Rabat on both October 2 and 3 before it continues its tour in the United States.
The two performances will take place at the Royal Theatre of Rabat, which opened its 2026 program with a lineup of international performances. The venue, located in the Bouregreg Valley, describes itself as a new performing arts destination designed to host productions from Morocco and abroad.
