The New York Times - Like The Phoenix Being Born Again
Buried like a jewel in Alvin Ailey's 1960 masterpiece "Revelations" is a searing male solo set to the spiritual "I Wanna Be Ready."
Buried like a jewel in Alvin Ailey's 1960 masterpiece "Revelations" is a searing male solo set to the spiritual "I Wanna Be Ready."
When Alvin Ailey founded his modern dance company in 1958, with the idea of reflecting the African American experience on stage, he could never had imagined that it would become one of his country's pre-eminent cultural exports. And it is international tours, such as the one that was launched in London on Tuesday, that have helped to set the seal on the troupe's amazing success.
The famed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is on tour, and they will be stopping at the Fox Theatre next week for an extended stay. From Feb. 10 to 14, the company will perform a collection of pieces and end each show with "Revelations," a celebrated piece by Alvin Ailey.
"It's pretty clear that there's a love affair between audiences and 'Revelations'," choreographer Alvin Ailey wrote in his autobiography, speaking of the work that would become the signature of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. He was not overstating the case.
Anna Gilligan hit the dance floor for a class on 'Revelations,' the signature choreographic work of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Alvin Ailey's 1960 modern dance masterpiece "Revelations" has been performed in 71 countries, and it reliably brings audiences to their feet, even dancing in the aisles. The combination of modern dance and spirituals creates a sense of uplift so infectious that most people leave the theater either singing the music or trying to dance the steps. Last week, they got a chance to learn those steps for real.
The voice on the phone belonged to Masazumi Chaya, the associate artistic director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and he had a startling proposition. Would she - Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish, 55 years old, former Ailey superstar and current artificial-hip owner - come out of retirement to dance at a special performance on New Year's Eve?
When Robert Battle, the artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, addressed the audience on opening night at New York City Center, he brought a prop along with him: a seat belt. "Next year," he joked, "we're going to sell them in the gift shop."
Thirteen years ago when Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has its last Lincoln Center season, the David H. Koch Theater was called the New York State Theater. Judith Jamison was the company's artistic director. And "Revelations," Ailey's 1960 masterpiece, was in full force. (Some things never change.)
For its high-profile summer season at Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has commissioned a new work from Ronald K. Brown.