The male dancers at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater are hardly asthmatic or middle-aged, but this past week, in a New York crowded with street protests, they only had to be tall and black to make audiences think of Eric Garner.
A civil rights icon is now dancing onstage in New York City: Odetta. As part of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's New York City Center residency, the African-American musician and activist, who notably sang at the historic 1963 March on Washington, is portrayed onstage in a new work called Odetta, choreographed by Matthew Rushing.
It would seem the timing could hardly be more apt for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's new civil rights-themed piece, "Odetta," a tribute to the late folk singer often referred to as the voice of the civil rights movement.
Ailey's ODETTA celebrates the legacy of a noted humanitarian.
An unexpected phone call gave choreographer Kyle Abraham the chance of a lifetime - to bring new moves to the renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Company, long one of the nation's more cherished troupes, is testing the waters of its Chicago popularity with an extended, two-week stay at the Auditorium Theatre, offering three separate linups through March 17.
There's a cool, seductive way an Alvin Ailey dancer takes the stage - a pantherlike walk with the chest held high, hips and shoulders rolling ever so slightly. It's one of the things choreographer Kyle Abraham loves about Ailey's style.
Variety is the spice of Ailey. As artistic director Robert Battle winds up his second season, he continues to broaden the repertory - making for programming where the choroegraphy is (almost) as good as the dancing.
Last Saturday, I saw a stunning Alvin Ailey evening of pieces like "Streams," "The Evolution Of A Secured Feminine," and "Urban Folk Dance." The night ended with "Minus 16," a jagged, exciting ensemble piece, performed in business suits and hats, with choreography by Ohad Naharin.
If you haven't seen a performance by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in a while, you might forget just how accomplished the company's dancers are. You know they can do anything, but the cisible evidence can leave you reeling.