Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Photo credit: AAADT's Linda Celeste Sims.
Photo by Andrew Eccles.

The Auditorium Theatre of Roosevelt University

Program:

Three Black Kings
Suite Otis
In/Side
Revelations

Normally I don't post about dance. It's not that I don't ever go, I just don't have the vocabulary to speak intelligently about what I saw. If I did, I would end up writing something like, "I just loved it when they did that twirly thing." How helpful is that?

I do see as many dance performances as the average person, maybe three to four per year in a good year. And, if Revelations turned 50 recently - I first saw it nearly 20 years ago. Yikes! How did that happen?

For anyone who reads the arts section regularly, we all know one of America's strongest and most beloved dance troupes is poised for significant change. Judith Jamison is set to retire this year and is handing the reins over to Robert Battle, a moment fraught with tension as the Ailey legacy is at stake in any transition of this nature. And, for those of you who don't think artistic directors make a difference, I can very much attest that they make all the difference.

Jamison is much loved. We heard her speak for a few minutes last summer and she's fantastic, as a personality. And, she's done something fantastic. She's protected the Ailey legacy, loved it, and taught the world to cherish it as the cultural icon it is. Without her, I don't think I would be thinking Ailey - legacy - cultural icon. She has rightly banked on the strength of Revelations, which could sell out venues for another 50 years easily (maybe not venues as big as Alvin Ailey usually performs in, but venues all the same). It's just that good.

This post is about what we saw with In/Side, choreographed by Battle. After seeing what he is up to, I predict Battle won't approach the group as sacred institution. Thank goodness. America is replete with sacred dance institutions. And, we've frozen ourselves in time.

I've caught a whiff of what Europe is up to. And, we've fallen behind. In the age of Balanchine, we ruled. But, we got caught in our Balanchine, our Ailey and a few others of note. I've seen many a second-rate troupe march through town. I've seen first-rate "modern" dance. And, none of it has quite held a candle to the world-wide progression that's been happening elsewhere. In/Side, I felt, held a flicker of that flame. And, I'm excited and hopeful.

In/Side is a solo dance for one man. It is powerful, sexy, complicated, eyebrow raising, full body and incredibly dramatic. A new fantastic. Let's just say it's the first time, maybe ever, in America I've thought, "Holy shit" when seeing a dance performance. I've thought "whoa" before and "wow," but not been blown away like this here. It was fresh.

Jamison has made it easy for Battle to maintain the legacy of Ailey's choreography with either little or no effort. And, she's set him up to move forward, as well. I very much hope he will. I would expect that in two years when Ailey comes to town there might just be buzz. And, I won't be going back to see the group for the memories and the reminder. Rather, I hope to go and see them again and see what I saw a couple of weeks ago - a flash of the present and the future, innovation, daring, wonder and beauty.

I didn't expect to have hope at this juncture. But, I feel refreshed in my hope not only for Alvin Ailey, but for American dance in general. A few more pushes, a few more shoves, a few more deft and capable choreographers and we'll throw off the burden of a beautiful past and move into the future. Fantastic! I hope.