A review of the work on display in the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2023 North American Tour. We love danceeee. And we love Black art. Let's get into it.
This past Sunday, my family and I continued an annual tradition that I’ve known my entire life: catching the Sunday matinee of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s North American tour at the Fabulous Fox Theater.
Every February, my family and I have battled the parking fiasco that is Midtown to gather with supporters, both old and new, of Ailey. It’s always been a joy witnessing Black art during Black History Month and doing so with an overwhelmingly Black audience filled with people young and old, often in their Sunday’s best. And this year was simply no exception.
During their stop in Atlanta, lasting from February 16-19, we were presented with three pieces, each showcasing the ever-exciting direction the Company has been taking artistically in the last few years, in addition to the cornerstone of the Ailey repertoire: Revelations (1960).
Allow me to discuss these four pieces with you, share my thoughts, and perhaps even sway you to get tickets to their shows in your city! If you missed them this year, I assure you they’ll be back next year.
The Sunday matinee began with what I can confidently call the most experimental piece I have ever seen the Company perform. Jamar Roberts, Resident Choreographer for the Company (2019-2022), brought his tenure to a close with an electrifyingly brave piece entitled In a Sentimental Mood.
An emotional duet illuminated with some of the most jarring yet innovative lighting design I believe I’ve ever seen at the Fox Theater, In a Sentimental Mood is a discussion of love, romance, struggle, desire, and pain. Against a soundtrack consisting of Duke Ellington tunes such as “Single Petal of a Rose” and “In a Sentimental Mood” as well as some very dissonant ambient tracks that evoke discomfort, this piece is such a layered experience in which the audience feels both involved in and a merely observant of. The audience is invited to witness a battle within and without the two dancers as they themselves attempt to connect to each other in the suffocating space between seeking and attaining, embracing and releasing, all through the expertly detailed depiction of indecision.
What truly stuck out to me, though, was the curious stage design and even more curious utilization of the stage. The first section of the piece restricts the dancer to only a singular line of light downstage. The following sections take place on a square red carpet which dramatically reduces the stage space available, especially since there was actual set pieces resembling a living room to work around and with. There was also another solo section that took place in a mere circle of light just to the side of the red square of carpet. It was a very interesting design choice and I truly loved the choreographic choices that were made with it.
The quote attached to the piece in the program consists of words from James Baldwin:
“Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle, love is a war; love is growing up.”
This piece was performed by Courtney Celeste Spears and Christopher R. Wilson.
Roberts somber, combative piece was followed by a dazzling display of artistry, musicality, and the power of a creatively-approached quartet. Choreographed by Ailey’s Artistic Director, Robert Battle, For Four was a delightful and truly fun piece to watch set against “Delfeayo’s Dilemma” by the legendary Wynton Marsalis.
Though this was the shortest piece of the show, it was the most energizing. In about 8 minutes, Battle was able to deliver some truly neo-Ailey-esque choreography with elements that showed even more how the Company is embracing a more modern approach. Exciting callbacks to earlier movement patterns, enchanting variations, and solos full of character and distinction are just a few aspects of this piece that kept our eyes glued to the stage.
The lighting design, as with all their pieces, honestly, was especially stunning here. Just beautiful interactions between the movement of the dancers and the movement of the light that many other companies I’ve seen tend to shy away from.
This was my mom’s favorite piece of the night, made evident by her gleaming smile at the end of it and her immediate inquiry to me after the lights came up on whether I knew about Wynton Marsalis. Yes, ma, I know about Wynton Marsalis.
This piece was performed by Ashley Kaylynn Green, Kanji Segawa, Khalia Campbell, and Miranda Quinn.
Y’all there’s so much I want to say about this piece that I really don’t know where to begin.
To start, this work by Kyle Abraham is truly a lovely example of the modernization of the Ailey Company. They would’ve neverrrr done such a large piece of this style and mood 5-10 years ago. It was so many things at once, but namely it was masterful, fun, and interactive. Layered with vibrant colors in both the lighting and the costumes, this piece was, in the very fundamental sense of the word, beautiful. It was a myriad, a smorgasbord if you will, of moods and stories centered on love and its implications throughout a variety of contexts, eras, and settings.
Similarly to In a Sentimental Mood, this piece was a fantastic demonstration of not needing a full stage to express movement. Such innovative choreography, with an incredible attention to detail in hand and head movements and a creative approach to transitions between sections by using dialogue (which often left the audience laughing). Finally, the music choice was insane! They had so much for each generation of viewer that everyone would have something they could relate to.
This piece was gorgeous conversation about modern love, romance, betrayal, and affection. All in all, it was simply very fun to watch. The incredibly versatile costumes also allowed for the lengthy piece to not necessarily feel as lengthy as it was and to create distinction between the different stories within it. The lighting design decisions here were super fun and creative in some places and a bit less impactful in others.
This piece was performed by Caroline T. Dartey, Ghrai DeVore-Stokes, Solomon Dumas, Samantha Figgins, James Gilmer, Ashley Kaylynn Green, Renaldo Maurice, Ashley Mayeux, Chalvar Monteiro, Miranda Quinn, Deidre Rogan, and Jermaine Terry.
This 63-year-old work choreographed by Mr. Alvin Ailey himself has become the “most widely-seen modern dance work in the world.” And for more than good reason.
This celebration of Black heritage and the Black experience expertly navigates the sorrowful and the joyful with grace and form. I’ve always been fascinated with this piece and the performance of it has gripped me since I was young. At this point, my family and I have pretty much gotten the choreography down and I listen to the soundtrack on Spotify all the time.
But it does not escape me the immense pressure that the dancers must endure knowing that they’re performing a piece that people may have been watching annually for decades! To execute choreography that several people in the audience, if not most, have seen time and time again. They know what the next move is. They know if you’re in the wrong place. They know if you’re early or late. They will know because at this point, generations of people have witnessed this incredible piece! And to execute knowing all of that?? Must be insane. Infinite props to the Ailey dancers for committing themselves to such a rich artistic tradition as this!
With that being said, my only qualm is that they’ve rerecorded the vocals on some of thee most iconic tracks, including my personal favorite, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.” I suppose the time was eventually going to come anyway, but still lol.
This piece was performed by the Company with solo or small group performances by Patrick Coker, Miranda Quinn, Hannah Alissa Richardson, Constance Stamatiou, Jeroboam Bozeman, Xavier Mack, Deidre Rogan, Christopher Taylor, Jau'mair Garland, Samantha Figgins, Solomon Dumas, Courtney Celeste Spears, Jermaine Terry, Christopher R. Wilson, and Chalvar Monteiro.
The Alivin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 2023 North American Tour is most definitely coming to a city near you very soon. To see the dates for your city, check out their tour schedule. If you’re in Atlanta, DC, or Toronto, they’ve already come and gone, but they’ll for sure be back next February!
