The "Dance Theatre of Harlem's" birthplace was in a disused garage in Harlem, a black district of New York. Arthur Mitchell, the founder who still acts as its artistic director, set up the ballet school with the aim of giving black dancers the opportunity of sound training, as their skin color meant that they often encountered difficulties finding employment with existing companies which consisted mainly of white dancers. Since its humble beginnings in 1969 - it was founded shortly after the murder of Martin Luther King - the "Dance Theatre of Harlem" has attained worldwide status. Today the repertoire is performing a representative cross section from the history of artistic dancing. Alongside classics of the Russian school such as "Swan Lake" and "Sheherazade" are shown the successful neoclassical dance routines from the years following the First World War as well as works by contemporary choreographers..