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.
After a life of movement, a stroke left the dancer and choreographer unable to walk. Now recovering and choreographing a show at Sadler’s Wells, he’s in no mood to slow down.
The American company brought Ailey’s legendary Revelations, still hugely powerful after 65 years, alongside modern pieces of precision and fire. The thing about the dancers of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is that they are precision performers – technique visible, placings academic – but at the same time, they can elasticate and undulate their bodies; they can be sensual and spiritual. Above all, they dance with great sincerity.
The American company brought Ailey’s legendary Revelations, still hugely powerful after 65 years, alongside modern pieces of precision and fire. The thing about the dancers of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is that they are precision performers – technique visible, placings academic – but at the same time, they can elasticate and undulate their bodies; they can be sensual and spiritual. Above all, they dance with great sincerity.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has been performing its founder's signature work, Revelations, all over the world for 60 years. Lyndsey Winship talks to dancers past and present about the meaning and the humanity of this historic piece.
For more than 60 years, the spiritual power of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s signature work has stunned audiences including Obama. Here, company members explain what it’s like to dance a masterpiece.
As De’Anthony Vaughan concludes another long day at dance rehearsal, he navigates his way through the bright lights, bustling crowds and honking horns of New York City. One thing is for sure, he is not on Vine Street anymore. For many of us, working at our dream job is a far-off fantasy; for Vaughan, his lifelong ambition of becoming a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater became a reality earlier this month. “I was ecstatic. I am still in shock. I was overwhelmed, but I am still so happy,” says Vaughan, a Kansas City native. “My family is more excited than me. I feel like I was still processing it and they were crying and happy because everyone knows it has always been a dream of mine.”
American choreographer and dancer Joyce Trisler was just 45 years old when she died. Her untimely death in 1979 felt like a tragedy no good could ever come from. But shortly after, still in the midst of grief and looking for a way to capture the impact Trisler had on her colleagues, students and friends, Alvin Ailey created a new work in her honour. Memoria allowed Ailey to pay tribute to a friendship spanning more than 30 years and to portray the true essence of Trisler.