Say you're a choreographer and you want to make a dance about gun violence - not a polemical piece but a mournful one. How might you express a grief that's personal and public, and whose source shows no sign of stopping? An obvious option: bodies on the ground. And sure enough, those appear in Jamar Roberts's "Ode," which had its premiere at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at City Center on Tuesday. "Ode" isn't obvious though. It's delicate, daring and heartbreaking.
There are no gunshots in Ode. But it does begin with one dancer lying motionless on the floor, as a piano plays stark, detached chords. The dancer gets up and is eventually joined by five other dancers, in flowing, circular motions. They dance together as an ensemble, but then one dancer falls and crumples to the floor. He's picked up by another dancer, but then two of them fall.
What a night. The Dance Magazine Awards yesterday at the Ailey Citigroup Theater was jam-packed with love for dance. From legendary icons to early-career choreographers we can't stop obsessing over, the Dance Magazine Awards, presented by the Dance Media Foundation, recognized a wide spectrum of our field. And with more performances than ever before, the night was an incredible celebration of the dance community. As host Wendy Perron pointed out, in many ways, we doubled the usual fun this year: Some honorees had two performances, some had two presenters, and David Gordon and Valda Setterfield were themselves, well, two awardees.
It’s Morning Edition on WNYC. I'm Richard Hake. A new work of dance premiering tonight draws from the story of a racist mob attack in Oklahoma back in 1921. Greenwood will be performed by the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater. It explores the story of a massacre in the affluent black Greenwood district of Tulsa, known at the time as America's black Wall Street. Donald Byrd is the choreographer who created the piece. And it's our pleasure that he's with us this morning in the studio, Mr. Bird. Good morning.
One of the world’s most popular dance companies, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater are out with their annual showcase, “Ailey Revealed.” Watch three members of the company give a live studio performance of a portion of Ailey’s signature piece, “Revelations.”
In March of 1958, Alvin Ailey and a small group of dancers first performed at the 92nd street "Y" on the Upper West Side. Nine years later, he started the Ailey School. Now, 50 years later, the school continues celebrating Ailey's vision. "He could see almost the future in dance, and what he did, he did with such heart and honesty and love that it still is alive today," co-director Tracy Inman said. And it shapes these dancers are both personally and professionally. Young people from all over the world go there to learn and perfect their craft. Guided by Mr. Ailey's mission that dance is for everybody, the young people pour every ounce of their souls and bodies into their craft. The Alley School has trained 75% of the current members of the first company.
Tracie Strahan speaks with Tony-nominated Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater choreographer Donald Byrd about "Greenwood," a new piece that premieres Friday at New York City Center.
On Wednesday, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater kicks off its five-week holiday season. Jamar Roberts is stepping into the role of Ailey’s first resident choreographer while continuing to perform. Theatergoers come back every year to see “Revelations” and other classics. “We’ve been preparing these pieces for all year, really, and some of them we’ve been doing for many, many reasons, including ‘Revelations,’ for example, so we’re excited,” Roberts said. Roberts has been performing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater since 2002 when he joined as a teenager. This year, Roberts choreographed the piece “Ode,” which makes its world premiere later this month. “It is a tribute to victims of gun violence. I really wanted to do something really beautiful, so in essence, it’s a poem. I’m not really depicting any one scene in particular, but I really wanted to do something that was gonna really help facilitate healing to most of the communities and families affected,” Roberts said. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s holiday season runs through Jan. 5.
We are live at Works & Process at the Guggenheim with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performing an excerpt from “Ode” a piece choreographed by Ailey’s first resident choreographer Jamar Roberts. A panel discussion led by Marina Harss will feature Robert Battle, Stephanie Batten Bland, Donald Byrd, and Jamar Roberts, as well as Brandon Stirling Baker and Libby Stadstad (lighting and scenic designers for this world premiere work).
