Join London’s dance elite with a show for everyone. The show opened on 5th until 16th September, Sadler’s Wells stage comes alive with the electric and powerful America’s Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Contemporary dance meets ballet with precison and grace, muscular bodies shine in sometimes bright costumes, sometimes all white, each change marks the change of story with a soundtrack driving the narrative further although you are mesmerised by the dancers. Marking sixty-five years since inception they are still making waves on stages worldwide which can be seen in the company’s 2023 tour, which explores themes of love and joy.. This mixed bill show is one not to miss, a packed programme leaves you feeling light and entertained. (Main image: AAADTs-Constance-Stamatiou-Yannick-Lebrun-and-James-Gilmer.-Photo-by-Dario-Calmese_2-2)
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ALT’s editor Joy Coker managed to ask Robert Battle “what Alvin would have thought of the work the company is doing today. Watch in video clip coming up soon.
Who was Alvin Ailey
Alvin Ailey is a powerhouse of American dance. His career began in a time when opportunities for African American dancers were limited, but he strived to create a space for Black artists to express their experiences and heritage. Founded in 1958, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was one of the first companies to welcome dancers of all races and backgrounds.
When Ailey began creating dances, he drew upon his “blood memories” of the South, blues, spirituality, and gospel as inspiration. He is best known for his master work, Revelations, which has been seen in 71 countries and by more than 25 million people, with audience members ranging from Oprah to Obama.
When Ailey died on 1 December 1989, The New York Times said of him:
You didn’t need to have known [him] personally to have been touched by his humanity, enthusiasm, and exuberance and his courageous stand for multi-racial brotherhood.
Programmes
The Best of Alvin Ailey
Date: September 7-15, 2023
The River:
By turns muscular and lyrical, The River is a sweeping full company work that suggests tumbling rapids and meandering streams on a journey to the sea. Ailey’s allegory of birth, life and rebirth abounds with water references, from the spinning “Vortex” solo to the romantic “Lake” duet, and from the powerful “Falls” quartet to the joyful “Giggling Rapids”. The choreography demonstrates Ailey’s admiration for classical ballet but retains the modern and jazz influences found in all his work. “The River shows Mr Ailey at his inventive best,” declared The New York Times.
The grandeur of the dancing is matched by the music, which was Duke Ellington’s first symphonic score written for dance. Ailey and Ellington collaborated closely on the piece. This new production features costumes newly designed for the first time since the 1970s.
Pas de Duke: Pas de Duke is Alvin Ailey’s spirited modern dance translation of a classical pas de deux, originally created in 1976 as a showcase for Judith Jamison and Mikhail Baryshnikov. She was a reigning star of modern dance; he was one of the world’s most famous ballet dancers, having defected from the Soviet Union two years earlier. Ailey made brilliant use of the dancers’ physical and stylistic differences, crafting an elegant, flirtatious work that showed off their exuberance and virtuosity as they engaged in a playful game of one-upmanship.
Cry: Alvin Ailey’s mother and Jamison could both be considered the archetypal Ailey woman – a role that has been passed on to all the women in the Ailey ranks to whom Jamison has taught this solo.
In her autobiography Dancing Spirit, Jamison wrote: “Exactly where the woman is going through the ballet’s three sections was never explained to me by Alvin. In my interpretation, she represented those women before her who came from the hardships of slavery, through the pain of losing loved ones, through overcoming extraordinary depressions and tribulations. Coming out of a world of pain and trouble, she has found her way-and triumphed.”
Revelations: Recognised as a cultural gem, the masterpiece harnesses the depths of African American spirituals and gospel songs, echoing the profound grief and pure joy intrinsic to these traditions. With its evocative blues, gospel, and spiritual melodies, it has enchanted audiences across 71 countries, touching the hearts of over 25 million people. Esteemed admirers of this work include luminaries such as Oprah and Obama.
Tickets: Sadler’s Wells website.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: 21st Century Creations
Date: September 8-14, 2023
For Four by Robert Battle
Take four amazing Ailey dancers and add in Wynton Marsalis’ delicious jazz score – written in 4/4 time – and you’ll understand why Robert Battle cheekily titled this exuberant short work For Four. Capturing the pent-up energy of a world cooped up during the pandemic, Battle expresses the drive to perform and the electricity of dancers coming together to create.
Unfold by Robert Battle
Artistic Director Robert Battle’s sensuous, swirling duet evokes the tenderness and ecstasy in Gustave Charpentier’s aria. With its fluid grace, this gem exemplifies the choreographer’s skill for nuanced gesture and vivid imagery.
In a Sentimental Mood by Jamar Roberts
An intimate scene from the domestic life of a couple becomes an exploration of love and desire in Jamar Roberts’ world premiere. Using an original composition by Duke Ellington and four jazz standards that are given an avant-garde twist by composer Rafiq Bhatia, Roberts bridges the past and present, making these musical classics freshly relevant and timely.
Are You In Your Feelings by Kyle Abraham
Acclaimed choreographer Kyle Abraham’s newest work is a celebration of Black culture, Black music, and the youthful spirit that perseveres in us all. Scored to a “mixtape” of soul, hip-hop, and R&B, it highlights the bridge between music, communication, and personal memory.
Tickets: Sadler’s Wells website.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Modern Masters
Date: September 6-16, 2023
Roy’s Joys by Twyla Tharp
This silky, sultry work embodies the spontaneity of the 1940s and 50s jazz soundtrack by Roy Eldridge. Mixing vernacular dance with ballet and modern technique, it exudes an easy, carefree energy that shows Tharp at her rollicking best.
Dancing Spirit by Ronald K. Brown
Ronald K. Brown pays tribute to Ailey’s Artistic Director Emerita Judith Jamison’s profound influence with a new work that echoes the title of Jamison’s autobiography. Set to music by Duke Ellington, Wynton Marsalis and War, Brown’s evocative choreography uses movement from Cuba, Brazil and the United States to conjure dancing spirits who embody Jamison’s elegance, vision, dignity and generosity.
Revelations by Alvin Ailey
Using African American spirituals, song-sermons, gospel songs and holy blues, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul. Ailey described the memories that inspired Revelations as “blood memories” because they were so strong, he felt they were part of him as much as the blood that ran through his veins.
More than just a popular dance work, it has become a cultural treasure, beloved by generations of fans. Seeing Revelations for the first time or the hundredth can be a transcendent experience, with audiences cheering, singing along and dancing in their seats from the opening notes of the plaintive “I Been ’Buked” to the rousing “Wade in the Water” and the triumphant finale, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.” It is no surprise that it is the most widely seen modern dance work in the world.
Tickets: Sadler’s Wells website.
NAME : Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater: Contemporary Voices
Date: September 5-16, 2023
Timely and timeless
For Four by Robert Battle
Take four amazing Ailey dancers and add in Wynton Marsalis’ delicious jazz score – written in 4/4 time – and you’ll understand why Robert Battle cheekily titled this exuberant short work For Four. Capturing the pent-up energy of a world cooped up during the pandemic, Battle expresses the drive to perform and the electricity of dancers coming together to create.
Unfold by Robert Battle
Artistic Director Robert Battle’s sensuous, swirling duet evokes the tenderness and ecstasy in Gustave Charpentier’s aria. With its fluid grace, this gem exemplifies the choreographer’s skill for nuanced gesture and vivid imagery.
Are You in Your Feelings? by Kyle Abraham
Acclaimed choreographer Kyle Abraham’s newest work is a celebration of Black culture, Black music, and the youthful spirit that perseveres in us all. Scored to a “mixtape” of soul, hip-hop, and R&B, it highlights the bridge between music, communication, and personal memory.
Alone and collectively, these are songs that narrate the ups and downs of getting together and breaking up
THE NEW YORK TIMES on Are You in Your Feelings?
Tickets: Sadler’s Wells website.
Runnnng time: 2 hours and 20 minutes, with two 20-minute intervals. Prices £15.00. For more information, visit Sadler’s Wells. Location: Sadler’s Wells Theatre, Rosebery Avenue, London, EC1R 4TN.
Opportunities at Sadler’s Well
Are you a creative SADLERS WELLS has a number of initiatives designed to nurture the most exciting talent working in dance today. This includes working closely with our Associate Artists and companies and hosting the National Youth Dance Company, as well as professional development programmes through Sadler’s Wells Breakin’ Convention.
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