Strike a pose; He was the first black ballet star and he taught the kids of Harlem to dance - the great classical works of Balanchine, no less. On the eve of a rare UK tour, Jenny Gilbert meets the legendary Arthur Mitchell.(Features) From: The Independent on Sunday (London, England) | Date: March 21, 2004| Author: Gilbert, Jenny | COPYRIGHT 2004 Independent Newspapers (UK) Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Byline: Jenny Gilbert

On the final account sheet of the American civil rights movement, the contribution of choreographer George Balanchine - born 100 years ago this year - might easily be overlooked. What difference to the black man's lot could an apolitical Russian emigre make, holed up in a Manhattan dance studio dreaming up abstract neo-classical ballets? The flesh-and-blood evidence is Arthur Mitchell, the young black dancer Balanchine hired for the otherwise wholly...