Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies (SPS) M.S. in Nonprofit Management (NOPM) program recently welcomed the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s (DTH) artistic director, Robert Garland, and executive director, Anna Glass, for an insightful conversation about the organization’s roots, nonprofit operations, and the evolution of the ballet world.
Dr. Basil A. Smikle Jr., professor of practice and NOPM program director, moderated the conversation. Throughout the academic year, the NOPM program embodies its “mission-driven” values by organizing valuable opportunities and events for students, alumni, and faculty members to engage with their local community.
In his introduction, Dr. Smikle explained that the idea for the event came from a conversation about arts and nonprofit work with a NOPM student who is also a dancer. “I realized there was an opportunity for us to come together and have a great conversation about where we are in the world today,” he said. “I thought about how we could bring joy to these conversations and really engage with the arts.” Dr. Smikle also emphasized the vital work and unique history of DTH, both in the international dance world and in its local community.
“We’re situated in such a unique space. We are a classic ballet company, but we are also an institution that reflects where we are from—Harlem, where we were born,” said Glass. “We feel very deeply that we belong to that community and are responsible to that community.”
Glass, a lecturer in the NOPM program, provided insight into the operations and management of DTH. A former dancer, she always had a passion for movement and artistry, but her interest in academics and intensive thinking eventually led her to law school. In 2014, Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, asked Glass to assess financial issues facing DTH. After she reported her findings, Walker said, “Now I need you to fix it.” Glass began serving as a consultant for the company, and that’s how she began her journey with DTH.
“What I discovered was that it wasn’t what Dance Theatre of Harlem was doing that was the problem, it was how Dance Theatre of Harlem was doing what it was doing,” Glass said. “Once I got in there, I fell in love with the institution.”
Dr. Smikle introduced Garland by reflecting on when they met 20 years ago. Dr. Smikle was working for then-senator Hillary Clinton, organizing a Black History Month event with DTH that included astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, restaurateur Barbara “B.” Smith, designer Moshood, and legendary photographer Gordon Parks.
In addition to his role as artistic director, Garland is director of the Professional Training Program of the DTH School and the organization’s webmaster. He attended Juilliard, worked closely with Arthur Mitchell, the company’s founder, and has choreographed a plethora of ballets for DTH, New York City Ballet, Oakland Ballet, and many more companies.
“While choreography is the hot and alluring thing as an artist, it was running the School that taught me everything,” Garland said. “It taught me how to look at a budget, it taught me how to deal with students 3 to 23, and it taught me how to be responsible to parents.”
With years of experience in the performing arts, choreography, and management, both Glass and Garland have established themselves as powerhouses in the dance and nonprofit communities. During the event, they recounted interactions and memories with Mitchell, a ballet legend, and highlighted the profound impact of DTH, including the company’s pioneering work of creating dance tights and shoes to match a broad range of skin tones, which forever changed the art form.
From fundraising and casting dancers to building the company’s legacy as a leading dance institution, the unique insights shared at this one-of-a-kind event provided an inspiring look into the relationship between nonprofits, the arts, and community.
About the Program
Columbia University’s M.S. in Nonprofit Management program prepares graduates for leadership roles within mission-driven organizations in a wide variety of contexts, including global and community nonprofits, foundations, education, health care, and the arts, or as fundraising and development experts.
The fall 2025 application deadline for the M.S. in Nonprofit Management program is June 1. The program is offered full-time, part-time, online, and on campus. Learn more about the program here.
