Moving dance forward for 90 years

The Harkness Dance Center was founded at 92NY in May, 1935, with Doris Humphrey as the first director. Right from the start, the center focused on the power of art to promote self-expression, creativity and societal engagement. The original faculty, including Martha Graham, Charles Weidman, Hanya Holm and Anna Sokolow, both performed and taught classes in modern dance techniques to 92NY members, expanding the art’s reach to non-professionals.

For the past 90 years, the Harkness Dance Center has been a hub for a global community of dancers who gathered here to explore fundamental questions of identity, society and humanity through dance. Katherine Dunham, Pearl Primus, José Limón, Paul Taylor, Merce Cunningham, and Alvin Ailey are just a few of the legendary artists who created and premiered work on 92NY’s stage.

Today, the Harkness Dance Center, housed in the new Arnhold Center at 92NY, continues to connect artists, audiences and students of dance. World-class dancers and choreographers in our Performances season lead classes and workshops for students. Our School of Dance is a destination for holistic dance instruction in New York City for students of all ages. Our artist-in-residence program provides space for dancers and choreographers to explore cutting edge ideas in movement. Our Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) leads the way in dance education by providing training and support so educators can experiment, create, learn and innovate.