REVIEW: Ailey’s dancers are back at NY City Center
Photo: Dancers with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater perform in Ronald K. Brown’s “Dancing Spirit.” Photo courtesy of Paul Kolnik / Provided by AADT with permission.
NEW YORK — The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is back at New York City Center for its annual holiday run of shows. There are numerous performances scheduled until Sunday, Dec. 31, with several premieres and new productions of old favorites. This reviewer recently caught an enjoyable and stacked evening featuring “Dancing Spirit,” “Are You in Your Feelings?” and, of course, “Revelations.”
“Dancing Spirit” is one of the hallmarks of this Ailey season because it’s being presented as a birthday gift to Judith Jamison, artistic director emerita of the company. This Ronald K. Brown piece was originally staged in 2009, but the Ailey dancers have dusted off the choreography for a new production almost 15 years later. For those who know Jamison, it doesn’t come as surprise that Brown pays tribute to her with this monumental work. “Dancing Spirit,” after all, is also the name of her autobiography.
In the work, the soundtrack is equal parts jazzy and funky, set to the tunes of Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis and War. Dancers, often paired in duets, make their way across the stage in jubilant form, often cutting the space along a diagonal line. Their attire is different shades of ocean blue and white, and their movements, according to press notes, are pulled from several international traditions. Overall, with the full moon projected in the background, there’s a feeling of positivity, with celebration and “spirit” on every inch of the stage.
“Are You in Your Feelings?” is a piece by Kyle Abraham from last year. The choreographic work was well-received by critics and audiences, and makes a triumphant return to the Ailey repertory. The soundtrack for this one is varied and diverse, highlighting well-known and rare tunes from the worlds of soul, hip-hop and R&B. Press notes indicate that Abraham’s “Feelings” is a celebration of Black culture and Black music, and when paired with the celebratory spirit of “Dancing Spirit,” there’s a definite through-line of achievement, joy and affirmation. The pacing of the work is marvelous, with the action slowing down to a romantic seductiveness with “I Only Have Eyes for You” by the Flamingos and then speeding up adding boundless energy thanks to tunes by Drake, Maxwell and Jhené Aiko.
The finale for this Dec. 6 evening — and the finale for many of the evenings at Ailey’s City Center season — was “Revelations,” the piece that put Ailey and his legacy on the map. Seemingly enough has been written about this choreographic masterpiece, but perhaps there’s still more to understand, still more to pick apart and appreciate.
Each new generation is experiencing this work and making it its own. This reviewer has probably seen “Revelations” a dozen times, with numerous performers interpreting the different stages of this truly revelatory dance, and each time there’s a palpable thrill in the air. Dancers move on in their careers, but somehow this work remains and is handed down, like the passing of a baton. One only has to look at the assistant rehearsal director of the company, Clifton Brown, who has held this leadership position for the past four years. He often was a welcome presence in “Revelations” at City Center, and now he’s behind the scenes helping to preserve Ailey’s vision.
In previous seasons, this reviewer has often likened “Revelations” to a rite of passage, sentiments no doubt shared by the dancers and choreographers for the company. There’s the somberness and sadness of “Sinner Man,” which eventually grows more emotional and frenzied, and then there’s the solitary beauty of “I Wanna Be Ready.” Few can forget their first time seeing “Wade in the Water,” when blue fabric is pulled across the stage to mimic the undulating waves, and then there’s the final sequence, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham,” which always earns and receives a stirring encore.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, under the artistic direction of Robert Battle, is back in Midtown Manhattan, even though its legacy never really left.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, under the artistic direction of Robert Battle, continues its holiday season through Sunday, Dec. 31, at New York City Center. Click here for more information and tickets.
