Whenever you go to the dance, and see the name Donald Williams, get ready for a very special treat. Tall and imposing, Donald, who is a Principal Dancer of The Dance Theatre of Harlem, has his own special way of moving, and he always delivers with a performance that’s out of the ordinary. He is certainly one of America’s top dancers. Let’s find out why:

Finis: When did you begin dancing, and where?

Donald: I was 11 years old, and an organization called Urban Gateways in Chicago was funding scholarships for six students from underprivileged neighborhoods to study ballet at The Ruth Page Foundation School of Dance. The auditions were held at my school.

Finis: At this point, had you already had an interest in dance?

Donald: Only in street dance.

Finis: Meaning?

Donald: Social dances. You know The James Brown, The Bugaloo, The Funky Chicken. At my school, I choreographed some dance numbers for assemblies and special events.

Finis: So what happened when you got into ballet class?

Donald: I went down to the audition and saw the teacher, who was a man, wearing tights. I thought 'I’m not wearing those tights. This is not for me,' and I went back upstairs. My school teacher brought me downstairs to the dance room, physically, and made me take the audition. She said I was too talented to miss this opportunity.

Finis: And, luckily for all of us, you did the right thing.

Donald: I was chosen, and then took ballet from Larry Long two times a week, for about two years. And then in the second year, I was introduced to Arthur Mitchell, back stage, after a performance of Dance Theatre of Harlem. I was then 12. He asked me to take off my shoes, so he could see how flexible my feet were. I thought he was crazy! After seeing my feet, he offered me a scholarship at the DTH School in New York City for the summer. I did the summer session, and, was asked to stay the year ‘round. I begged my mother to let me do it, and moved to New York City and stayed with Marie Brooks, a teacher at the school.

Finis: Well, that’s an early start and a big move!

Donald: It was a bit scary at first, being away from my home and family at such a young age. I studied in the DTH dance school until I was 16, then decided to go back to Chicago, to finish High School, as I wasn’t sure that I wanted dance as a career. Back home in Chicago, I went to a Science and Math School to prepare for college. I received a scholarship to study Civil Engineering at Bradley University in Peoria, IL. Then, the summer before I was to begin school, I decided to go back to DTH for a summer session. I thought perhaps I could do dance in the summer and school during the rest of the year.

Finis: Ha! Little did you know . . .

Donald: At the end of the summer, I was offered an apprenticeship with DTH, and gave up the college scholarship, in order to join the company and travel the world. That was in 1977, I was 18 years old, and I felt I could always go back to school at any time, but I needed to dance while I was young.

Finis: What was your first big role at DTH?

Donald: The Prince in John Taras’s FIREBIRD, which led to my promotion to Principal Dancer in 1983.

Finis: DTH has gone through lots of financial ups and downs, with long periods of no work. How were you able to survive those periods?

Donald: I’ve been lucky enough to be invited to dance with several local companies, such as Dances Patrelle, Fugate-Bahiri Ballet NY (formerly Dance Galaxy), and Complexions. And, of course, there are the Nutcrackers, and the Galas.

Finis: Was there ever a time where you faced extreme difficulties and wondered when you’d dance again?

Donald: In 1988, I left DTH for a year, because I felt I needed a change and there were other teachers and dancers I wanted to work with.

Finis: And what did that do for you?

Donald: It was a very crucial period in that I learned a lot about myself, as a person, as well as a dancer. It was the first time I was away from the place which had been my home for 11 years, and I found it hard to motivate myself without the daily routine of company classes and rehearsals and performances. In the beginning, I was able to take classes and study with Stanley Williams at The School of American Ballet.

Finis: How was that?

Donald: I loved it. After years of working with DTH, and having a place as a Principal Dancer there, I was able to just focus on class and improving my technique. The whole atmosphere at SAB was different for me. It was so inspiring to be in Stanley’s class along with Baryshnikov, Nureyev, and a lot of up and coming dancers.

Finis: What did this do for you?

Donald: It lifted me up to a higher level. It made me dance better. It was sort of like a healthy competition that brings out the best in you. During this period of studying with Stanley, I also began dancing with Cynthia Gregory in Dances Patrelle. I learned so much dancing with her, America’s Prima Ballerina. She kept the dancing fun, no matter what happened. Because she was so technically secure, she brought out a sensitivity in my partnering I had rarely experienced before.

Donald: After doing all this, there was a period of about five or six months were I didn’t have any performing to do.

Finis: How did that affect you?

Donald: I lost my motivation, and I didn’t push the way I had planned to.

Finis: So what did you do? What happened?

Donald: I wasted a lot of time, and I partied a lot. And, I pretty much lost my focus.

Finis: What changed things for you?

Donald: A call from Arthur Mitchell, the Director of DTH. He basically sensed something was wrong with me, and offered to help me sort it out. Two months later, I was back dancing with DTH.

Finis: And where you’ve been ever since! What’s it like, being a Principal Dancer with DTH?

Donald: I’ve been able to dance repertory works from Balanchine to Petipa as well as contemporary choreographers such as Dwight Rhoden and Alonzo King. I’ve created roles choreographed by Glen Tetley, Geoffrey Holder, Michael Smuin, and of course, Arthur Mitchell, among others.

Finis: Do you have any favorite roles?

Donald: It’s hard to say, because I’ve dancing so many different kinds of choreography for so long (or so it seems to me) that I find it difficult to compare one to the other. How can you compare Allegro Brilliante to Dougla? I like’em both!

Finis: I hear you! They’re both brilliant stage pieces and look like lots of fun. When you are performing and rehearsing, do you ever have times when you just don’t feel like doing it? What do you do about it?

Donald: Oh, absolutely! Generally, the cure for me is getting started at the barre, whether it’s a class, or my own warm-up. Once I break a sweat, and I’m really into the physicality of it, it pushes me to the place I need to be.

Finis: Have you ever felt you weren’t ready to do what was required on stage?

Donald: Well, I always have an initial feeling of nervousness before I step on stage. There’s that moment of 'butterflies', which is like an adrenalin rush. I think that is part of what makes me keep dancing. It’s that moment, the excitement of going onstage, in front of thousands of people I don’t know, to present something that means so much to me. It’s the thrill of the risk, of opening yourself up completely and just giving it out.

Finis: Well, Donald, that must be why I have always loved seeing you dance on stage. You certainly show what you feel. I often say in class, "You look like what you do." So, what does the future hold?

Donald: Well, I had a taste of Musical Theatre in 1998, when I went into Ragtime. I loved it! I think it’s what I always really wanted to do. Fred Astaire has always been an inspiration. As well as James Brown.

Finis: You’re kidding . . .

Donald: James Brown helped me get my start. I would win dance contests, doing The James Brown. Because I won those contests, my teacher knew I should go and take the dance audition.

Finis: Full circle! So, perhaps, after a career in ballet, you might switch to Musical Theatre, and Broadway, like lots of other ballet dancers?

Donald: I’d like to give it a shot. I’ve resumed vocal training. I’m looking into studying acting.

Finis: What advice do you have to younger dancers?

Donald: The strong point of my dancing has been my versatility. And, at DTH, it’s always been stressed that we should have a background in ballet, jazz, modern, ethnic. Nowadays, I think you need to know as many kinds of dance as possible, as well as acting, and singing. Everyone now is a 'triple threat' but you need to be a 'quadruple-threat.' A little acrobatics couldn’t hurt, either! Most of all, keep focused on your goals, and always find a way to keep growing as a person as well as an artist.

Finis: Thanks so much, Donald. I look forward to your next performance!