The Ailey Company in "Petit Mort" Photo: Paul Kolnick
Yet another season of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater comes to an end. Sunday afternoon, December 30 was without a doubt another special performance. Jiri Kylian's Petit Mort (1991) opened the program. The nuance needed for Kylian’s work was absolutely there. As a company, the men opened with the dreaded task of dancing in unison with a sword as partner, and they did. (Ok, yes, one dropped and we all watched, hoping that they were all careful not to lose the added lines that dancing with the sword demanded, or drop another sword). The women were given the task of dancing with a black, strapless gown that moves on wheels! Of course this drew a pleasing laugh from the audience. What followed were intricate duets that scream Kylian, but were concurred by the Ailey cast (Ghrai DeVore, Sean A. Carmon, Kelly Robotham, Kanji Segawa, Megan Jakel, Michael Francis McBride, Rachael McLaren, Daniel Harder, Demetia Hopkins, Vernard J. Gilmore, Sarah Daley
and Michael Jackson, Jr.)
Artistic Director Robert Battle’s Strange Humors (1998), true to the title, was a fun duet, danced so well by Renaldo Gardner and McBride. Keep bringing your treasures to the Ailey crew!
Kyle Abraham’s premiere Another Night was performed by another fabulous cast (see original blog post (12/16) about the 12/5 premiere). Needless to say, this was yet another fabulous showing of this work. Standout performances were from DeVore and Jakel! Well done ladies!
The evening closed with Roland K. Brown’s now iconic work Grace. Certainly not a replacement for the requisite Ailey closer Revelations, but what an idea! Linda Celeste Sims opens with a most meditative solo in all white, as if clearing the space for what is to come. The others would soon enter, in red or white to pulsing sounds that was highlighted by incomparable Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti, whose sounds each of the dancers matched with fierceness. Lucky for the audience that Matthew Rushing (guest artist/rehearsal director who simply cannot help getting on the stage) joined this cast.
Next year then!
and Michael Jackson, Jr.)
Artistic Director Robert Battle’s Strange Humors (1998), true to the title, was a fun duet, danced so well by Renaldo Gardner and McBride. Keep bringing your treasures to the Ailey crew!
Kyle Abraham’s premiere Another Night was performed by another fabulous cast (see original blog post (12/16) about the 12/5 premiere). Needless to say, this was yet another fabulous showing of this work. Standout performances were from DeVore and Jakel! Well done ladies!
The evening closed with Roland K. Brown’s now iconic work Grace. Certainly not a replacement for the requisite Ailey closer Revelations, but what an idea! Linda Celeste Sims opens with a most meditative solo in all white, as if clearing the space for what is to come. The others would soon enter, in red or white to pulsing sounds that was highlighted by incomparable Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo Kuti, whose sounds each of the dancers matched with fierceness. Lucky for the audience that Matthew Rushing (guest artist/rehearsal director who simply cannot help getting on the stage) joined this cast.
Next year then!
The Ailey Company in "Grace" Photo: Paul Kolnick
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