We have finally arrived, although still a little jet lagged. The audience has definitely awoken us. Tuesday was our opening performance. For those who weren’t able to make it out, we performed Suite Otis, The Hunt, Dancing Spirit, and In/Side, followed by Revelations.
Though it was the day after Labor Day, "The White House Dance Series: A Tribute to Judith Jamison" began with a summer-camp air. Youngsters from nine arts programs around the country entered the crystal chandelier-hung East Room, often known for its grand state occasions, wearing a variety of T-shirts, workout clothes and tights.
Although Alvin Ailey II might be considered the "junior" version of the prominent dance company, selected to showcase its younger, up-and-coming talent, don't let the name mislead you. The Ailey II company delivers a top-notch performance.
Recently, some 80 younsters from 11 to 14 years old burst onstage at Columbia University's Miller Theatre for a delightful performance showcasing the skills acquired during a six-week intensive training at the AileyCamp.
Sure enough, someone hit the chandelier. You want to avoid it when you're dancing in the East Room of the White House, but as the many dancers who have had the distinction of leaping and spinning there can attest, it can take tricky choreography to ensure that airborne bodies don't graze the low-hanging crystal.
"Dance is the soul of this nation!" Judith Jamison, artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, exclaimed on Tuesday afternoon in the East Room of the White House, at the end of a performance in her honor.
In the end, it was a wonder the three massive chandeliers gracing the White House East Room remained intact, given the high-voltage expenditure of human engery taking place beneath them.
Jamar Roberts has danced in 48 states, 71 countries and on six continents. But that doesn't mean he's not nervous to perform at the White House Tuesday.
Ailey II composed of some of the country's best young dancers, will perform this week at the Folly Theater. Alvin Ailey, the founder of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, always wanted a separate company to allow students of the Ailey School to get a taste of the professional dance world before they embarked on their own dance careers.
Yes, it is almost that time for us to get on a plane and head for the UK. However, we must make a stop in Washington, DC on Tuesday to congratulate our Artistic Director, Judith Jamison, who will be honored by First Lady Michelle Obama at the first of a series of White House tributes to the art of dance in America.