Zellerbach Hall was packed and spirits were high for opening night of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 56th visit to Berkeley.
Acclaimed choreographer Alvin Ailey infused his life story and Black cultural roots into his modern dance works, which have been enjoyed by millions since he first founded Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958 in New York City. Early dances such as Revelations remain favorites in the company repertory today, but many people don’t know the background of the artist, who died in 1989.
Houston-born dancer and arts educator Isabel Wallace-Green vividly recalls seeing a performance of Alvin Ailey’s landmark 1960 dance work Revelations as a child, peering over a high balcony in Jones Hall. “The dancers were pretty small!” laughs Wallace-Green, who nevertheless was captivated, especially by a section in Revelations titled “Wade in the Water,” where translucent white, cobalt, and aquamarine cloths are stretched across the stage to evoke baptismal waters and — for African American slaves — the riverbed as a pathway to freedom. “I’d never seen anything like that.”
This March, audiences in Houston will have the opportunity to experience a historic dance company and a historic work of art. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was founded by its namesake, dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey, in 1958. Soon after, drawing upon music from gospel, spirituals, and blues, he started creating a work that evoked childhood images of his family and of attending church in Rogers, Texas, which he called “blood memories.” The result was his iconic work, Revelations, that premiered in New York in 1960. In over six decades, the work has been performed all over the world. In 1968, it was part of the Olympic Opening Ceremonies and has been presented numerous times at the White House.
Dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey created nearly 80 ballets in his career, but none is as well-known and well-loved as Revelations. Ailey was only 29 when he created the masterpiece inspired by his experience growing up in church in the South. He used movement and music to tell a beautiful story of the despair, hope and joy of the Black experience. And it has been beloved by audiences for over 60 years.
The pioneering company’s warmth and athletic grace is showcased in a selection of old and new work. There’s something generous about Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. It’s there in the dancing – full of skill, passion and a charismatic warmth not always seen in contemporary dance companies. It’s there too in the programming: at Sadler’s Wells over the coming week, the company will perform four carefully curated bills, full of rarely seen and new work. At the same time, the young company Ailey II sets off on tour around Britain, with more treats planned.
The pioneering company’s warmth and athletic grace is showcased in a selection of old and new work. There’s something generous about Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. It’s there in the dancing – full of skill, passion and a charismatic warmth not always seen in contemporary dance companies. It’s there too in the programming: at Sadler’s Wells over the coming week, the company will perform four carefully curated bills, full of rarely seen and new work. At the same time, the young company Ailey II sets off on tour around Britain, with more treats planned.
It's a little hard to get your head around the various programmes being offered by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in its two-week London season. That's because there are four of them and some works pop up in more than one. Never mind which you choose, though, because they all showcase a wealth of choreography and the consistently high standard of dancing from this popular New York troupe.
Of all the troupes who from time to time visit these shores, I’m not sure any is more consistently welcome or rewarding than Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Formed in New York in 1958 by their namesake to give black American dancers a “voice”, this resplendent ensemble is back in England for the first time in four years, following a brief sojourn at the Edinburgh International Festival. One offer during their 12-day stay at Sadler’s Wells is a full four programmes of works, of which Tuesday’s, Contemporary Voices, was the first. And, not for the first time, they royally brought the house down.
Pure, thrilling poetry in motion. Of all the troupes who from time to time visit these shores, I’m not sure any is more consistently welcome or rewarding than Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Formed in New York in 1958 by their namesake to give black American dancers a “voice”, this resplendent ensemble is back in England for the first time in four years, following a brief sojourn at theEdinburgh International Festival. On offer during their 12-day stay at Sadler's Wells are a full four programmes of works, of which Tuesday’s, Contemporary Voices, was the first . And, not for the first time, they royally brought the house down.