Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with Artistic Director Robert Battle and Associate Artistic Director Masazumi Chaya. Photo by Andrew Eccles
One of the hallmarks of the famed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has always been the company’s versatility. That strength has become even more expansive during the last couple of years under the helm of artistic director Robert Battle.
New York-area audiences will be able to see that range on full display when the Ailey company presents a two-week season at the Koch Theater at Lincoln Center.
Revelations Celebration in Costa Mesa, CA led byRenee Robinson. photo by Joesan Diche
The two-week-long season, which runs June 11-22, will be launched with a special event at 5:30 p.m. June 11 on the plaza outside the Koch Theater. Called a “Revelations Celebration,” the workshop, which is free and open to the public, will invite the public to learn excerpts from Ailey’s most famous work, the spirituals and gospel music-inspired work “Revelations.” Live musicians and drummers will also be part of the event.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Jacqueline Green, Linda Celeste Sims, Kelly Robotham, and Belen Pereyra in Aszure Barton’s LIFT. Photo by Paul Kolnik
“Revelations” will be on some of the programs for those attending performances inside the Koch along with three works that were added to the repertoire during the company’s December season at City Center—Wayne McGregor’s “Chroma,” Aszure Barton’s “LIFT,” and Bill T. Jones’s “D-Man in the Waters – Part 1).” Other repertory favorites during the June season will include Ron K. Brown’s “Grace,” Ohad Naharin’s “Minus 16” and several Ailey classics.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Linda Celeste Sims, Glen Simms, Antonio Douthit-Boyd and Akua Noni Parker, respectively in Hans van Manen’s Polish Pieces. Photo by Andrew Eccles
Of course, Ailey being Ailey, there will be new works on the bill as well—company revivals of Hans van Manen’s “Polish Pieces” and David Parsons’ “Caught” and two significant premieres—the company premiere of the historic solo “Awassa Astrige/Ostrich,” by Asadata Dafora; and the world premiere of “The Pleasure of The Lesson,” by Robert Moses.
“Awassa Astrige” is an important work in dance history for its fusion of traditional African dance and the Western concert stage. The piece is sometimes referred to as “The Dying Swan” of modern dance. Though only a brief solo, it is thought that “Awassa Astrige” inspired a generation of dance pioneers led by Katherine Dunham and Pearl Primus.
While the Moses work is an unknown since it’s a world premiere, the San Francisco-based choreographer is known as a post-modernist whose works typically blend a range of styles, from street dance to ballet.
Traversing that wide movement spectrum with all the other choreographic stops in between might sound daunting, but to the Ailey dancers it’s the equivalent of creative oxygen—a necessity to thrive and grow.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Yannick Lebrun. Photo by Andrew Eccles
Fashion Credit: Pants courtesy of Siki Im.
“To me, that’s what’s the most exciting thing about this company—to be able to adapt ourselves to so many different styles and so many different techniques, said Ailey dancer Yannick Lebrun. “We have to change, be able to express something different in every ballet, use our bodies in different ways to go from ballet to African to hip hop to modern dance to jazz. We do everything and that’s the beauty of this company—the diversity of the dancers, of the repertory. It’s one of the things I love the most about the Alvin Ailey company.”
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Belen Pereyra, Yannick Lebrun, and Linda Celeste Sims. Photo by Andrew Eccles
Lebrun, who joined Ailey in 2008 after a brief stint with Ailey II, said the preparation and approach for the two works are entirely different for each.
“For ‘The Ostrich’ it was very gratifying and an honor to actually be in the room learning the choreography. Charles Moore was the first male dancer who performed that ballet in the US and his wife, Ella Thompson Moore, came and restaged the ballet for us so that’s been an honor,” Lebrun said. “Coming from French Guiana, I don’t have a big problem with rhythm, but this is a challenge because it’s so simple but so specific at the same time. You can’t overdo it. You have to do exactly what it is and sometimes that’s a challenge because we think it’s so easy and so simple and such a short solo so you sometimes want to add even more.”
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s Yannick Lebrun. Photo by Andrew Eccles
“But the dance is already beautiful and so rich and striking. It’s really about showcasing the beautiful male body and the movement. So you have to really just focus on the specifics. There is no extra to add. It’s all there.”
The Moses work is pushing the dancers in an entirely different way, Lebrun admits. “The process of learning a new ballet with the choreographer can be even more exhausting. There are always changes. The dancers have to be open to change. We have to be able to adapt and work with the choreographer and be able to inspire them,” he said. “That’s the good thing about working with Robert. There is a lot of freedom in your artistic choices. He’s feeding off of us, challenging us. You’re being given this freedom for expression and making artistic choices.”
—Karyn D. Collins
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