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The Dance Theatre of Harlem performer. Photo courtesy of UNC-CHAPEL HILL.

Their versatility is remarkable. Their form is undeniable. Their movements are powerful and intimidating.

The riveting and world-renowned Dance Theatre of Harlem stops at Memorial Hall on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill on March 6-7, at 8 p.m.

The DTH performs primarily neoclassical ballet, but its bold interpretations set it apart from any other company. Their renditions are elegant and classical, but unmistakably of African origin.

The DTH is known for its ability to stir and woo its audience. "This is one of the most delightful evenings I have enjoyed. I have forgotten all the troubles I had in my life," said the South African leader Nelson Mandela on seeing their performance.

Arthur Mitchell, DTH founder, was born March 27, 1934. He was accepted into New York City’s High School for Performing Arts in 1948. In 1952 he was awarded a scholarship to the School of American Ballet.

His 1955 New York City Ballet debut broke the color barrier in the world of dance when he became the first permanent African-American male dancer of a major American ballet company.

Mitchell conceived the company after hearing that civil rights activist Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated. Mitchell recalls that he was in a cab en route to the airport when he stopped and thought, "Why am I going to Brazil when there are so many problems here in America?"

That’s when he said to himself: "Mitchell, put your money where your mouth is." Soon he resigned from the New York City Ballet and started teaching ballet out of a garage. The next year he founded the DTH to "disprove the theory that blacks couldn’t master ballet."

Mitchell has accomplished much more than that. In 1969, he started with 40 students in a church basement. Within two months, student attendance increased to over 400. Now, in its 31st year, the DTH’s mission has not changed.

The group provides young people who don’t have access to the arts an opportunity to obtain a sense of creativity, discipline, and self-esteem that will serve them throughout their lives, according to the troupe’s mission statement.

The DTH also plans to establish and operate centers to teach and present dance, to maintain a library that supports research in the arts, and to promote better race and class relations through the arts.

The DTH pursues serious young performers. There will be auditions in Memorial Hall on Tues., March 7 for their Summer Intensive Program in New York City. Auditions begin at 3:30 p.m. (ages 8-14) and continue at 4:30 p.m. (ages 15 and up). Female dancers age 8-14 who are able to should be prepared to dance on point. Female dancers (15 and up) should come prepared to dance on point. All dancers should wear leotards and tights, plus bring a passport- sized photo.

The DTH has received numerous awards, including 300 official citations for excellence. They also have the distinction of being the first American ballet company to perform in the Soviet Union.

During the 1988 tour, First Lady Nancy Reagan was the honorary chairperson of the opening night performance in Moscow and Raisa Gorbachev attended two performances. They also have performed in Monte Carlo, Italy, Dublin, Canada and South Africa.

The performances are part of the 1999-2000 Carolina Union Performing Arts Series.

Contact the Carolina Union Box Office at (919) 962-1449 during business hours, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.