This is the last week of the annual five-week season for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) at City Center; performances will run until January 5. Sadly, there were some special days that won’t be repeated, but must be mentioned, topmost on the list is “Celebrating Chaya: Five Decades of Ailey History,” the evening dedicated Masazumi Chaya who is retiring as Associate Artistic Director after 28 seasons. In two Acts, and then an exceptional rendition of Mr. Ailey’s Revelations, decades of Chaya’s touch on each Ailey dancer was shared. There were speeches by Artistic Director Robert Battle, Artistic Director Emeritus Judith Jamison, and more. For sure, the performances by past members of AAADT solely in thanks to Chaya was the highlight of the evening. The list is long, but there were performances by Sylvia Waters, Sarita Allen, Donna Wood Sanders, Desmond Richardson, Tracy Inman, Amos J. Machanic, Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish, Troy Powell, Renee Robinson, Guillermo Asca, Aubrey Lynch, Nasha Thomas, Dwana Adiaha Smallwood, Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell and more.
Another glorious highlight of the season was Ode by Ailey dancer and newly announced Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts’ response to gun violence. Ode is performed by either a cast of male or female dancers. Danica Paulos, Sarah Daley-Perdomo, Jacqueline Green, Samantha Figgins, Ghrai DeVore-Stokes and Jacquelin Harris danced on Sunday, December 29. Libby Stadstad’s gigantic backdrop, mostly black with colorful, cascading flowers from top to bottom sets the stage, so too does Don Pullen’s multi-sensory solo piano “Suite (Sweet) Malcolm (Part 1 Memories and Gunshots).” The movement comes from deep quiet places, solos within unison segments meet and glide against ever-evolving tempos. They go, go, go, and stop only to begin again with new breath. To make the work, say Roberts, it came from a “…lens of love; how we heal,” and we see this in the quiet screams and the many embracing arms that fill the space in circles and lines, then offer support as they fall recover and fall again. Ode is a masterpiece.
Catch the other works: Greenwood by Donald Byrd and Ode by Ailey dancer and newly announced Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts; company premieres of BUSK by Aszure Barton and City of Rain by Camille A. Brown; new productions of Divining (1984) by Judith Jamison and Fandango (1995) Lar Lubovitch; plus repertory favorites including Ailey’s Memoria and Revelations. Find out more here
Another glorious highlight of the season was Ode by Ailey dancer and newly announced Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts’ response to gun violence. Ode is performed by either a cast of male or female dancers. Danica Paulos, Sarah Daley-Perdomo, Jacqueline Green, Samantha Figgins, Ghrai DeVore-Stokes and Jacquelin Harris danced on Sunday, December 29. Libby Stadstad’s gigantic backdrop, mostly black with colorful, cascading flowers from top to bottom sets the stage, so too does Don Pullen’s multi-sensory solo piano “Suite (Sweet) Malcolm (Part 1 Memories and Gunshots).” The movement comes from deep quiet places, solos within unison segments meet and glide against ever-evolving tempos. They go, go, go, and stop only to begin again with new breath. To make the work, say Roberts, it came from a “…lens of love; how we heal,” and we see this in the quiet screams and the many embracing arms that fill the space in circles and lines, then offer support as they fall recover and fall again. Ode is a masterpiece.
Catch the other works: Greenwood by Donald Byrd and Ode by Ailey dancer and newly announced Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts; company premieres of BUSK by Aszure Barton and City of Rain by Camille A. Brown; new productions of Divining (1984) by Judith Jamison and Fandango (1995) Lar Lubovitch; plus repertory favorites including Ailey’s Memoria and Revelations. Find out more here
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