For one of the last evenings during the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s (AAADT) month-long season at City Center (December 17), all the works were new or newly mounted on AAADT. The evening opened with Paul Taylor’s Piazzolla Caldera created in 1997, remounted for Ailey. Artistic director, Robert Battle’s big and bold Awakening (premiere), a wild mix of really loud music, fast-changing lights, plus demanding, non-stop movement for a cast of twelve, headed by Jamar Roberts, followed. In a radical change of pace, Jacqueline Green, Chalvar Monteiro and Danica Paulos' take on Kyle Abraham’s moving new work, Untitled America: First Movement. The sound score, a smoky delivery on piano of “Father, Father” sung by Laura Mvula, comes to life through signature moves by Abraham—all together they resonates so well. This is one of three works by Abraham scheduled for AAADT. Finally, Ronald K. Brown’s Open Door set to music by Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra pairs nicely with Brown’s hip swinging, sultry and suave play on Cuban folk forms. The music and the evening was a nice balance of hot and cool.
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