Most of the comments here are disgusting. Alvin Ailey is a great dance company. It showcases black dance, black people, and modern dance to tell the most rewarding stories. Most pale dancers can only dream being part of it.
I've been to a few Alvin Ailey performances. For me, the disconnect isn't the moves, it's the music, props, and costumes. They've got this new choreographer who is stylistically making them more contemporary, but it doesn't change the fact that when I view an Alvin Ailey performance, I feel bored and the overall presentation feels dated. I recognize, understand, and appreciate storytelling through dance. I also understand that this dance company was founded with the purpose of both presenting black dancing bodies and black narratives onstage. I respect and admire that, and in essence I connect with that as I black woman. I think what Alvin Ailey needs is new stories to tell. Yes, black people are still oppressed and so that can be part of the narrative. But oppression aside, I think it would serve the company well to also explore other modern themes, rooted in a variety of areas whether social justice, love, friendship, maturity, joy, etc. Allowing the black experience to inform the work is critical, but also being open to finding new ways to connect with new and younger audiences is too. I want to see black bodies onstage and I want to connect with the rhythm and movement, but I also want to see and hear cultural relevance, and perhaps not continually feel like I'm watching a rhythmic and dreary dance narrative played out, rooted in oppression with music that isn't inspiring or enlivening. No, I don't want this company to appeal to other audiences by losing its blackness. I want it to keep its blackness at the forefront, but dig deeper to be relevant.
Exactly. I love Ailey but as much as the story is the same it has changed for some. That should be reflected in the art. I actually ended up going to a Ronald K Brown show and felt that it was more fresh and relevant to the times.
Agree. beautifully said. On this note a perfect reason why I appreciate Kyle Abraham, and Alonzo King so very much! Relevance, including presentation and new works, but also new experimentation. I do think Battle can create some new works, he did so more recently. But the entire company has to decide ...forward, or stagnant. ;-)
I have been a professional dancer and have loved Ailey for over 40 years. His original work was space both on ballet and line as well as African isolations. He wanted people to see African people and beautiful movements. I very much enjoyed the choreography that was presented in the video. However the original Ailey style must never be forgotten. And that includes the tendus.
It’s great to see young poc ; who want to continue to upkeep our tradition of expression through dance. I’ll be taking a vogue class at Alvin Alley next weekend. However so much unnecessary negativity in the comments from those who most likely couldn’t dance in this style or don’t dance at all.
I feel like once you bring in the nae nae and the dab and other dances of the like, you've kinda lost creativity..... Don't get me wrong, the incorporation is cool but still, I feel like there's something lacking.
Proud student! I was privileged to grow up at Ailey, privileged to still study there as an adult. 💗 I've learned more about myself and the world here than anywhere else. And Rennie Harris is a GOD.
I love the Alvin Ailey dance company. I think it's brilliant to incorporate those moves into a pie. She's right in that it helps make it more relatable. If only it didn't cost an arm and a leg to see a dance company, ballet, theater. The only way most folks can experience that kind of thing is on PBS and watching it on TV is not nearly the same
The modern dance scene in America is a joke. Compared to Europe it's a fluffy Disney character. There is a reason why many of the best modern dancers move to Europe. Alvin Ailey just need to step up and adapt. "Revelations" might be a masterpiece for that time period and the message is still as relevant but the choreography is painfully outdated, museum piece that's not holding up in 2018. Maybe I'm being too harsh...
Shit gotta shout out vice for covering lesbian dance theory! 😂 but for real I used to have a lot of respect for the reporting Vice did but since they’ve become really far left and did the white male terrorist piece with the gentlemen explaining his white man-phobia knowing damn well he calls trump a this-phobe and a that-phobe I haven’t been too thrilled with them . I’m not republican or Democrat but with their opinions at Vice If u reverse that piece and explain about how because of Islamic terrorism your terrified of anything that happens to be middle eastern they’d be very offended and upset I just want to know when it became acceptable to have a selective prejudice for a certain race and not be deemed hateful there isn’t a race the scares me period all those people that did mass shootings it’s true they are quite possibly terrorists but not necessarily every single mass shooting is terrorism unless you are changing the definition some of these cases are people who are psychos or murderers but if you,re so narrow minded to claim you are fighting against racism yet say things like your scared of all white men because their potential of being a terrorist then you are contradicting yourself so please Vice do better less divisive work
Good gracious! You're absolutely right! But not only dance, but music, fashion and art! It's going to take generations to repair what Black culture has utterly destroyed!
