REVIEW: Always superb Alvin Ailey dancers return to City Center
Photo: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Ghrai DeVore-Stokes and Chalvar Monteiro in Jamar Roberts’ In a Sentimental Mood. Photo courtesy of Paul Kolnik / Provided by press site with permission.
NEW YORK — The pandemic has not been easy for theater and dance companies over the past few years. Take, for example, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the most important cultural institutions in the world. Like the rest of the performing arts sector, they canceled performances in 2020 and then attempted a return to their annual holiday residency at New York City Center in 2021, but then Omicron had different plans. Last year’s truncated season didn’t feel like the proper return everyone was hoping for.
Thankfully, Alvin Ailey is back at City Center this year, and by all accounts, their majestic return has proved wonderful and resoundingly welcome. At a recent performance, the company offered expert interpretations of dance routines both old and new (although, truth be told, the old felt new again). A last-minute change to the program jettisoned “Blues Suite,” an Ailey-choreographed classic set to traditional music, for two excellent additions: last year’s “For Four” by Robert Battle, who serves as artistic director of Ailey, and “In a Sentimental Mood,” a world premiere by Jamar Roberts. These two additions were joined by “Reflections in D,” a solo piece starring Jermaine Terry; “Cry,” with Ghrai DeVore-Stokes interpreting the beloved Ailey-Judith Jamison piece; and “Revelations,” a fitting finale if ever there was one.
Roberts’ “In a Sentimental Mood,” with music by Duke Ellington and Rafiq Bhatia, is a special piece for the company because it represents Roberts’ final work as resident choreographer of Ailey. The routine offers a time-travel element with its accompanying jazziness, as if the audience were watching a cinematic romance from decades ago. Two dancers come together and break apart, showcasing a complex and intimate relationship with each other, all while Ellington’s score is given a modern retelling by Bhatia. This one proved to be a superb beginning to the two-hour evening.
“For Four” will no doubt become a company mainstay for Ailey. Battle’s exquisite choreography, staged by Elisa Clark and set to music by jazz maestro Wynton Marsalis, matches the bing-bang-booms of the music with the frenetic movements of the dancers on stage. That unmistakable Marsalis trumpet serves as guide for these four interpreters to offer their full-body routines, brimming with energy and life, emotion and skill.
The seeming simplicity of “Reflections in D” is actually a mirage because this solo work, expertly brought to life by Terry, is every bit as complex and rewarding as the larger ensemble numbers. The difference is that the complexity of this piece can be found in the emotive performance of this one dancer on stage, reacting his body to Ellington’s score, further cementing the jazzy theme of the evening. Terry’s take on Ailey’s 1962 choreography runs just shy of 4 minutes, but the memories linger for much longer.
“Cry,” originally choreographed by Ailey and dedicated “For all Black women everywhere — especially our mothers,” has become an increasingly in-demand piece in the Ailey repertoire. Perhaps there used to be a thought that the solo work was so inextricably tied to Jamison, the artistic director emerita who made a pre-curtain speech on this particular evening, that no other dancer would take on the gargantuan challenge of this 17-minute masterpiece. Luckily that is not the belief of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, who has kept Ailey’s spirit alive by allowing so many contemporary dancers the chance to interpret and reinterpret the works of the past. “Cry” has now been given to a new generation, with new passion to explore and new treasures to be found.
Then, “Revelations.”
So much ink has been shared on the power and poignancy of Ailey’s classic dance, and how it continues to impress and inspire new dancers and new audience members. That cheerleading continues with this Ailey residency at New York City Center. There’s a reason many of the curated evenings end with “Revelations,” and that’s simply because this episodic work — encompassing everything from “Wade in the Water” to “I Wanna Be Ready” to “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham” — weaves together an historic journey that feels simultaneously contemporary and prescient. In more ways than one, “Revelations” proves Ailey’s mission statement of “using the beauty and humanity of the African-American heritage and other cultures to unite people of all races, ages and backgrounds.”
“Revelations” has not lost any of its influence and sway over the years, and the piece continues to be a rite of passage for dance enthusiasts, a must-see for those wanting to understand the continued brilliance of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues through Saturday, Dec. 24 at the New York City Center. Click here for more information and tickets.
