Arthur Mitchell’s archival collection—including photographs, posters, correspondence and early film footage—can be found at Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library in NYC. New York City Ballet’s first African-American principal, Mitchell went on to found Dance Theatre of Harlem. He hopes that this collection will offer a unique look into American dance history and the cultural history of Harlem, where he was born and raised. The Mitchell archive will be open to the public beginning in 2017.
With Diana Adams in George Balanchine’s Agon
Both photos by Martha Swope, courtesy of Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library