It was one of the most anticipated arrivals in recent years, and the spirits of dance legends Arthur Mitchell and Geoffrey Holder were felt throughout New York City Center. Firebird, the visionary ballet choreographed by John Taras with costumes and scenic designs created by Holder, made a triumphant return to Dance Theatre of Harlem’s 57th season.
For many, Holder has been idolized as the eccentric Shangé commercial director in Boomerang. However, he was already a renowned dancer, painter and composer who regularly collaborated with DTH. His son Léo Holder (mom was iconic dancer Carmen de Lavallade) revived his father’s seminal designs for a new generation.
“Firebird is a story of transformation, resilience and hope… of light emerging from darkness,” said Misty Copeland, who alongside Holder introduced the stage performance for DTH’s 2026 Vision Gala last Friday. (The original Firebird premiered in 1982.) The evening, which continued at the Ziegfeld Ballroom, also honored dancer and choreographer Fatima Robinson with the Arthur Mitchell Vision Award and media executive Scott Mills with the Virtuoso Award. D-Nice closed out the exquisite affair, which featured recreations of Holder’s vibrantly lush scenery.
Attendees included Stephen Hill and wife Chanté Moore, Jordan Cooper, Adrienne Warren, Curtiss Cook, Mickalene Thomas, Stephen Galloway, Abby Phillip, Bevy Smith, Mike Muse and S. Epatha Merkerson.
Here, a closer look inside the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Vision Gala.
Center Stage
“It’s a ballet that carries both myth and meaning,” said Léo Holder of the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s revival of Firebird. His father, Geoffrey Holder, helped conceive the ballet’s vibrant imagery and designed it’s original costume and scenery.
Firebird’s North Star
Before Firebird’s final curtain, Dance Theatre of Harlem artistic director Robert Garland honors DTH’s original music director, Tania León, after she conducted the evening’s live music with the Gateways Festival Orchestra.
Dynamic Duo
“I had the incredible, incredible honor of wearing the Firebird costume during my performance at the Oscars,” said Misty Copeland. “It was a tribute not only to this iconic ballet, but to the visionary artist behind it: Geoffrey Holder. His work continues to inspire, to challenge, and to elevate what ballet can be. I am deeply grateful for his legacy, and to you Léo [Geoffrey’s son], for the care, vision, and dedication you have brought to honoring your father’s work and helping to bring this firebird to life for a new generation.”
Class Acts
From directing Toni Morrison’s first opera to sitting on August Wilson‘s porch in the last weeks of his life, Tony Award winner Kenny Leon recounted that it has been his collaborations with Fatima Robinson that has stretched him most as a director. “When I look at her I think of these four things: boldness, laughter, respect and abundance,” he said. “She thinks there’s enough things for everybody in the world. There’s enough money, and there’s enough love. [She’s a] visionary who belongs on top of that mountain with Toni Morrison, August Wilson, Phylicia Rashad and Denzel Washington.”
Patrons of the Arts
One of Dance Theatre of Harlem’s dedicated advocates, In Bed with Bevy host Bevy Smith was a part of the 2026 Vision Gala’s host committee alongside Antwaun Sargent, Bevy Smith, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Isolde Brielmaier, Mickalene Thomas, and Sandrine Charles.
Well Said
Tapped to pay tribute to dear friend and fellow choreographer Fatima Robinson, Rosie Perez shared that she first saw Robinson “dance her ass off” in New York City clubs in the 1990s. “A lot of young new artists struggling to be seen are just bubbling up with anxiety when they don’t have access to a platform to be seen, to be recognized and to be celebrated,” said Perez. “Fatima needed all of that. And she knew she deserved it. She needed the world to see her potential and her brightness. But that wasn’t easy for us girls of color back then. And it probably isn’t easy now. However, Fatima was and is a fire.”