REVIEW: Alvin Ailey company returns for holiday run in NYC
Photo: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is currently performing “Grace” at New York City Center. Photo courtesy of Danica Paulos / Provided by press site with permission.
NEW YORK — Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has returned to the Big Apple for a month-long run at New York City Center. This year, the company, under the leadership of artistic director Alicia Graf Mack, has a full suite of world premieres, company premieres and repertory favorites.
At a recent performance, the always-strong, always-powerful troupe of dancers brought to life four routines, mixing the classic with the contemporary. Starting the evening was the company premiere of “Blink of an Eye,” followed by a new production of “A Case of You.” Then, the evening finished with two cherished works: “Grace” and “Revelations.”
“Blink of an Eye,” a shorter piece, features choreography by Medhi Walerski, and Ailey’s new interpretation follows its world premiere in 2011. The dance is staged to the music of Bach, which is performed by violinist Itzhak Perlman. As helpful program notes indicate, the work is a rumination on contrasts, with rigor and freedom existing side by side, ditto for structure and emotion, the earthly and divine.
Perhaps Walerski’s piece is meant to showcase that these seemingly opposite thoughts and emotions are actually closer together than commonly believed. Perhaps one can find in the dancers’ motions an appreciation for freedom, while still understanding the structure of one’s life.
After the 15-minute duration of the first piece, audiences were able to enjoy “A Case of You,” which was originally a duet choreographed by the late, great Judith Jamison, the longtime artistic director of the company. This new production, based on the 2004 original, has a special feature: The staging comes courtesy of Clifton Brown, who has transitioned from Alvin Ailey dancer to Alvin Ailey associate rehearsal director. What wonderful news to learn that Brown is still associated with the company; this reviewer spent years appreciating his wonderfully realized motion on stage, and now perhaps there are many more years of appreciating his direction and choreography.
The 7-minute work exudes passion and pathos, sensuality and somberness, all set to the music of Joni Mitchell, performed by Diana Krall.
Confession time: “Grace” may be one of the best dances that Alvin Ailey has in its arsenal. This epic masterpiece, originally choreographed by Ronald K. Brown, is frenetic and freeing, with tableaus that highlight the entire troupe of dancers, while other times the emphasis shifts to a solitary person. There’s an eclectic nature to the work, doubly so because of the varied song choices, which run from Fela Kuti to Duke Ellington. The Fela music adds some pulsating rhythm to the piece, while the Ellington compositions offer a more reserved stateliness. Taken together, “Grace” offers a stunning, holistic portrait of a “journey to the promised land.”
Then, there was “Revelations.” This is certainly the most famous work in the Alvin Ailey repertoire, and it still holds up decades after its creation by the company’s namesake. Many performances at the City Center end with this revelatory dance sequence, sometimes even performed to live music.
The choreography is equal measures restrained and ebullient, again those contrasts that sit side by side in many Alvin Ailey routines. The music, featuring well-known gospel compositions and traditional songs, is infectious, demanding attention and energy. The visuals, from undulating water to a parade of umbrella-hoisting dancers, are the definition of memorable and iconic, so much so that the dancers offer a post-curtain-call encore of the final few minutes.
There’s a reason “Revelations” continues to be celebrated by dance appreciators the world over; as stated in previous Hollywood Soapbox reviews, it has become a rite of passage. One hasn’t experienced classical, modern or contemporary dance without experiencing Ailey’s singular vision for the African American historical experience. “Revelations” is always a welcome capstone to a thrilling night of choreographic command.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater continues at New York City Center through Sunday, Jan. 4. Click here for more information and tickets.
