REVIEW: No better way to enjoy Alvin Ailey than all-Ailey night
Photo: Performers with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater bring to life Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations.” Photo courtesy of Christopher Duggan / Provided by AAADT with permission.
NEW YORK — Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater could not perform their annual set of shows at City Center in 2020 because of the pandemic, so it was with much anticipation that the legendary company set up at the Midtown Manhattan venue for three weeks of performances this year. There are gems to behold in these carefully curated routines from one of the leading interpreters of modern dance, overseen by artistic director Robert Battle.
At a recent performance, the dancers presented a full-length evening of choreography from the namesake of the company, Ailey himself. The late great interpreter of movement, who revolutionized dance and left such a legacy, presented ideas both intimate and cosmic with his various works, including “The River,” “Reflections in D,” “Pas de Duke” and, of course, “Revelations.”
Take, for example, “The River,” which is a full company piece set to an original score by Duke Ellington. Water is the dominant theme in this 33-minute work, which features routines built around undulating waves and choppy rapids. There’s both the beauty of the water on display, plus some of its unexpectedness and curious features, sometimes leading to humor and majesty residing side by side. There’s one sequence that features lines of dancers stepping left and right, mimicking the movement of the water. A solo dancer, standing out thanks to a solitary small shirt covering his chest, tries to join the lines of dancers, almost like a child trying to join a game of kickball. He runs back and forth between the waves, never quite finding his spot. It’s a moment of elation and free-spiritedness in a work that is bounding with joy and visual fluidity.
Vernard J. Gilmore, celebrating 25 years with Ailey, performed “Reflections in D,” which is also set to the music of Ellington. This work, which is blink-and-it’s-over fast, is a powerful showcase. Gilmore commands the stage in the solo work, a fitting example of his skills after a quarter of a century with the company.
Constance Stamatiou and Yannick Lebrun shared the stage for “Pas de Duke,” the third routine that utilized Ellington’s songbook. The dancers were exquisite in their full realization of Ailey’s choreography, coupling skill with grace, tenacity with tenderness. Here, the jazz score matters so much because Ailey draws deep inspiration from the music for the instructive movements he offers the dancers. He seems to be less interested in having the performers match their gesturing and footwork exactly to the beats and rhythms of Ellington’s composition; instead, he wants the jazz music to play through their bodies, as they combine and break apart in this pas de deux.
Then, there was “Revelations,” which often ends an Ailey performance. This piece never grows old because it’s timeless and perpetually poignant. The audience expects the well-known routines with obvious anticipation, knowing the songs, like “I Been ‘Buked” and “Wade in the Water,” and the transfixing movements like a welcome friend. Yet, despite the familiarity with the material, the transcendent work never fails to elevate that anticipation into sheer wonder and choreographic contemplation. As press notes indicate, “Revelations” is about the deepest grief and holiest joy, using African-American spirituals, gospel songs and other art forms to tell a story that is sweeping and epic, but achieved on an intimate scale with exuberant movement.
Jermaine Terry gave proper emotion and restraint to the solo part of “Revelations” known as “I Wanna Be Ready.” Christopher R. Wilson, Chalvar Monteiro and Patrick Coker amped up the energy of the high-speed journey of “Sinner Man,” which almost seems as if the dancers can feel the earth moving while they leap and bound across the stage. Finally, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham” — well, it’s a fitting a conclusion to “Revelations” and the all-Ailey program.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has found a way to uniquely honor the past while simultaneously moving forward with socially-conscious messaging of inclusivity. By remembering and performing Ailey’s choreographic showcases, the company is keeping his dancing spirit alive and teaching new generations how far modern dance has come in the past 50-plus years.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues at New York City’s City Center through Dec. 19. Click here for more information and tickets.
