In honor of Black History Month, we spoke with Alvin Ailey stars Constance Stamatiou and Jamar Roberts on what it means to be performers of color in the dance world. Hear about their upbringing, obstacles they've faced in the industry, and what being part of a renowned African American dance company means to them. All performed over a riveting rendition of "Fix Me Jesus" from Alvin Ailey's Revelations.
Alvin Ailey's Michael Jackson, Jr. shares his barre routine to target your arm and leg muscles.
"I take it almost like a mission," Yannick Lebrun of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater said of performing "Sinner Man" from "Revelations," Ailey's 1960 masterpiece set to African-American spirituals. " 'Sinner Man' is a very powerful, propulsive section of 'Revelations' that shows who we are as Ailey men, but it definitely also has a deeper story: You're running for your life."
Yes, she's small, but the word "mighty" doesn't even begin to get to the root of Linda Celeste Sims' startling magnetism. She joined Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1996 and now, at 41, it's as if her luminous dancing has entered another realm.
Members Don't Get Weary, @alvinailey's newest work choreographed by @jmar82, is described as "a response to the current social landscape in America... an abstract look into the notion of one 'having the blues.'"
MIAMI - Jamar Robers has been around the world as a leading dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. But in a week after Hurricane Irma swept through Miami, he was back where he started, at Dance Empire, a studio in a suburban strip of warehouses here.
Jamar Roberts, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Dream Role: "Backwater Blues," from Alvin Ailey's Blues Suite. I never had a dream role until I first joined AAADT and saw Renee Robinson and Amos J. Mechanic Jr. dance "Backwater Blues," this amazing duet. I thought, "Wow! It would be really great if I ever got to do that!"
What do Fred Astaire, Pina Bausch and Misty Copeland have in common? They are all part of one of the most prestigious groups in dance: the Dance Magazine Award winners. A tradition that dates back to 1954, the Dance Magazine Awards celebrate the living legends who have made a lasting impact on our field.
Jamar Roberts, a dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, will take the leap from performer to choreographer next season with the premiere of "Members Don't Get Weary," his first piece for the company. Ailey announced on Wednesday that the work would debut in the troupe's annual season at City Center, running Nov. 29 through Dec. 31.
This year's Princess Grace Award winners were announced yesterday—and they include some very familiar faces. The Princess Grace crowd is an incredibly distinguished bunch.