Yannick Lebrun

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The New York Times - Alvin Ailey’s Silky Creatures Of The Night

The New York Times - Alvin Ailey’s Silky Creatures Of The Night

The sun sets, the moon rises and New York City is reborn. The night was a source of fascination for the choreographer Alvin Ailey. He understood its power, how bodies could soften in its shadows. It’s a time when some people “become their real selves,” he wrote in his notebooks in reference to his dance Night Creature. It’s no accident that Ailey, the subject of Edges of Ailey, a major exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, choreographed a performance to open Studio 54 in 1977.

San Francisco Chronicle - Review: Classic ‘Revelations’ Feeds The Soul As Alvin Ailey Company Returns To Cal Performances

San Francisco Chronicle - Review: Classic ‘Revelations’ Feeds The Soul As Alvin Ailey Company Returns To Cal Performances

Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations” is back in the flesh — and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is dancing it as rousingly as ever. If you’ve never seen “Revelations,” or haven’t gotten a dose in a few years, make haste to the Ailey company’s current run at UC Berkeley’s Cal Performances, where this eternal and indestructible 1960 classic is slated to cap every program (there are five of them) on offer through Sunday, April 3. And brace yourself; as one longtime fan was heard telling a newcomer on opening night Thursday, March 29, “You’re about to go to church.”

Dance Magazine: Friday Film Break: Ailey Dancers Samantha Figgins and Yannick Lebrun Dance Through the Queens Museum

Dance Magazine: Friday Film Break: Ailey Dancers Samantha Figgins and Yannick Lebrun Dance Through the Queens Museum

When sportswear brand Champion approached artist Tremaine Emory, aka Denim Tears, to collaborate on a new line, Emory looked to none other than Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for inspiration. To promote the launch of the resulting capsule collection, Ailey's own Samantha Figgins and Yannick Lebrun took over the Queens Museum for a short film, activating the empty space with their dancing. Directed by Taylour Paige, this video features gorgeous shots of the two dancers bringing the designs to life.

Complex: How Tremaine Emory is Sharing The Legacy of Alvin Ailey, an Icon He Says Is ‘Just As Important As Michael Jordan’

Complex: How Tremaine Emory is Sharing The Legacy of Alvin Ailey, an Icon He Says Is ‘Just As Important As Michael Jordan’

"He’s just as important as Michael Jordan,” said Tremaine Emory. Emory was referring to Alvin Ailey, the Black activist and choreographer who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958, when Black stories weren’t being told onstage through modern dance. His name isn’t as familiar as Michael Jordan’s, but his impact is far reaching. Ailey passed more than three decades ago, but his name still lives on through the dance company that he founded and the work he contributed. In 1960 he produced “Revelations,” a piece that tells the story of African American culture from slavery to freedom, and is still being performed by his company today. Emory, the designer behind Denim Tears, wanted to honor that with his newest project, an apparel collection called Cry/Revelations that was produced by Champion. Emory said Champion approached him about a collaboration and he immediately knew he wanted to do something connected to Alvin Ailey.

Viewing NYC - The Freedom To Be: Alvin Ailey Dancers

Viewing NYC - The Freedom To Be: Alvin Ailey Dancers

In our third episode of The Freedom to Be video series, timed to coincide with #NationalDanceDay today (Sept. 18), we spotlight the Black dance community in NYC. Choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey founded his namesake company in 1958 to bring African American dance to all corners of the US—and, eventually, the world. The dance theater, which forged a space for Black creatives in times and places where it often didn’t exist, is now a fixture of New York City culture. Meet two dancers from the troupe, Yannick Lebrun and Caroline Dartey, who emigrated from French Guiana and Switzerland, respectively, to pursue their dreams. Lebrun has been with the company for almost 15 years, while Dartey is just starting her journey. Both enjoy the sense of community and freedom of expression they’ve found at Alvin Ailey.

The Face - Tremaine Emory On His Alvin Ailey Inspired Champion Collab

The Face - Tremaine Emory On His Alvin Ailey Inspired Champion Collab

Tremaine Emory is no stranger to designer collaborations. As a consultant, the omni-talented artist has advised the likes of Kanye West and Frank Ocean and collaborated with brands such as Nike, Adidas, Levi’s and Stüssy. Now, the No Vacancy Inn co-founder and FACE family member has added yet another string to his bow: a super-slick collaboration with Champion. Due to launch in September, the Champion Tears collection takes influence from both the sportswear brand’s archives and one of the giants of 20th century dance: Alvin Ailey. Founder of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York – and one of the most important figures in honouring Black culture through dance – the whole thing is brought to life in a film by director, dancer and star of A24’s upcoming Zola, Taylour Paige.

Highsnobiety - Tremaine Emory Cries “Champion Tears” For Alvin Ailey

Highsnobiety - Tremaine Emory Cries “Champion Tears” For Alvin Ailey

Tremaine Emory aims to incite reform from the inside out, utilizing platforms offered by giant conglomerates to recontextuali ze inequity and consider lingering effects of discrimination on Black America. Emory's latest move is in alignment with sportswear giant Champion, lionizing Alvin Ailey and his legendary Dance Theater in line with the forthcoming documentary film that explores Ailey's life and legacy.

Dance Magazine - Yannick Lebrun: Dancer With Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Dance Magazine - Yannick Lebrun: Dancer With Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Yannick Lebrun is obsessed with music. "I listen to all kinds—world music, gospel, R&B, reggae, Caribbean, African. There's so much on my playlist," says the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater company member. Lebrun relies on different playlists before each performance to boost his energy or help him get into the mood of the piece. "Also, to be able to choreograph and be inspired, I have to have some beautiful music first," he adds. He's set pieces on his co-workers and Ailey II, and for his first performance since the pandemic shutdown, he created a solo to perform at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, in September. "The music inspires my movement."

CBS 2 New York - Performing Artists In NYC Finding Ways To Return To The Spotlight As Shutdown Continues

CBS 2 New York - Performing Artists In NYC Finding Ways To Return To The Spotlight As Shutdown Continues

Thousands of creative artists are fighting for their survival as the entertainment industry remains mostly shut down, but new ways of working are starting to pop up, along with a stronger push for federal relief. A New York City rooftop becomes a stage. No curtain rises, but the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns for a season that debuts new works and reinvents classics like “Pas de Duke,” as in Duke Ellington, by putting them online. The videos were filmed atop landmarks, like the Woolworth Building.

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Showing 1 – 10 of 37 Items