Finally, at the very end of Wednesday evening I was able to
see on of the most incredible dance performances I have ever seen - a rep of
three pieces by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. For some reason, Ailey
II came to Ellensburg a number of years ago and I remember being very impressed
with their dance, even through it was so different from my own preferred style
of classical ballet. I knew I did not want to see Nutcracker – performing in 5
times made it surprisingly uninspiring to watch (besides, I don’t think they do
student rush tickets), and none of the broadways shows that offered student
rush tickets really stood out to me. I’m not quite sure what brought it to
mind, but I had a faint recollection that Alvin Ailey was in NYC. The best bonus
– student rush tickets were only $10 during the holiday season. Ten dollars for
one of the most engaging evenings of dance?!!!! This quickly became the most
important must-do for my free day.
And what a performance! The theatre (the New York City
Center) was built in such a way that our seats gave a steep sightline, but they
were close enough that we could make out facial expressions and other nuances
without the aid of binoculars. Hannah asked the ticket guy for centered seats,
which is always a plus, and I actually do prefer balcony seats, patterns and
specific spatial movements are always more impactful when viewed from up high.
{Hannah thinks the theatre is a converted Jewish (?)
theatre, mainly because of the motifs present on the walls/perccenum arch –
star of David, protective hands, etc. It was beautiful!}
The set of three pieces was diverse and engaging, ranging
from telling the story of a Haitian painter to a piece set entirely to gospel
spirituals. It so happens that last night’s run was probably the best set for
the week (on a Wednesday – weird) because it included the full cast of 50
dancers performing Revelations.
The first piece, about the Haitian painter, Hector
Hyppolite, was entitled The Prodgial Prince.
This piece had very distinctive costumes, with both Haitian and African
influences. There was a strong storyline that was generally followable, though
there were some characters I did not understand - like a masked man in a
costume covered in long swishy rustling grass-like stuff, reminiscent of Nick
Cave’s Sound Suits, just not as tall. They mixed in some projections of what I
assume is the actual artist’s work at the end and the lighting in general
really set off the piece and aided in telling the story. Sometimes I forget
about how important the non-dance parts of the performance are to creating an
engaging environment.
The second piece, called Forgotten
Time, showcased softer movements and lots of remarkable partnering. Being a
modern dance company, all of the dancers are built distinctly different than
the classical dancers I usually see (basically modern = way more muscular, both
men and women) and the ease of how they partnered was inspiring to watch. It
never looked like anyone exerted any effort to life another person, guy or girl.
The men made it look completely easy to just lift a female up sideways, swing
her upside down, and then pop her up around his shoulders. Again and again and
again. The moments of stillness also stood out to me, which I only appreciate
now because I have watched my own performances and wish that I could re-perform
them, incorporating brief moments of stillness. It really just anchors a piece
and allows the audience to keep up with dance, otherwise I find myself
sometimes overwhelmed with movement. I also really liked the fact that this set
of pieces began and ended in silence. Just listening to footfalls on the
marley, the swishing of arms, thuds from the jumps, and the coordinated
exhaling was, in a way, very peaceful. The set also ended and began with the
same patterns and movements, giving this interesting cyclical feeling, almost
like a day had passed and we watched them dance through the day, starting with
sunrise and finishing with the sunset. I don’t honestly know what the
inspiration was for the piece or the actual story they told through the
movements (it was not detailed in the program) but I thoroughly enjoyed the
pieces.
And Revelations.
Wow. I got goosebumps during every single piece. That doesn’t usually happen
(it happened when I saw PNB perform Wheeldon’s After the Rain pas de duex
earlier this year, but it rarely happens). I was engaged, encouraged,
invigorated, and just plain excited through these pieces. They made me want to
find a dance studio the next day and get back in class. The dancer’s energy was
incredible and felt all the way up in the balcony – I just don’t know how else
to explain this breathtaking experience. The emotional spiritual music combined
with the powerful artistry of the company dancers created a phenomenal and
thoroughly engaging performance. Fortunately, Alvin Ailey has allowed much of
their work to be taped and (maybe unfortunately for them) many of the pieces
have made their way on to the internet. While the experience is not nearly as
remarkable as seeing the pieces performed in person, you should take time to
watch these clips: (if you only want to watch one, watch the last clip)
gah. I still get goosebumps and all emotional when I watch
those clips…
You should also see the company perform if you EVER get a
chance. I looked, they are not coming to Seattle this coming year, but next
time they do – want to join?
