Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
June 11th 2012 “Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is based in New York City and is personally my favorite dance company, their choreography is just incredible and I love to watch them perform.”
The company was founded in 1958; this was incredible because of the intense prejudice taking place at this time, not only were they a black company but they created a unique new kind- of dance mixing together for the first time; ballet, traditional African American dance, and modern. This was all possible thanks to dancer and choreographer Mr. Alvin Ailey. Ailey had a unique philosophy. He made use of any technique or style because for him it was about the choreography and the “theatrical “moment in dance. He wanted from his dancers a long unbroken leg line and deftly articulated legs and feet: a ballet bottom combined with a dramatically expressive upper torso: a modern top. "What I like is the line and technical range that classical ballet gives to the body. But I still want to project to the audience the expressiveness that only modern dance offers, especially for the inner king of things”
Also unique was Ailey ability to create partnerships, so he had places to practice and perform, his driving energy and flexibility. Not only did he create the ability to perform, he took it on the road with “station wagon tours”. The first performance of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre was at the New York's 92nd Street Young Men's Hebrew Association, under the name Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the production consisted of seven dancers and the artistic director. Thus Ailey was, at this point, the company's director, choreographer, and principle dancer. They became a resident company of the 51st Street YWCA's Clark Center for the Performing Arts. It was during this period that Ailey choreographed his famous work Revelations, a character dance done to traditional music. Two years later, Ailey changed his all-black dance
June 11th 2012 “Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is based in New York City and is personally my favorite dance company, their choreography is just incredible and I love to watch them perform.”
The company was founded in 1958; this was incredible because of the intense prejudice taking place at this time, not only were they a black company but they created a unique new kind- of dance mixing together for the first time; ballet, traditional African American dance, and modern. This was all possible thanks to dancer and choreographer Mr. Alvin Ailey. Ailey had a unique philosophy. He made use of any technique or style because for him it was about the choreography and the “theatrical “moment in dance. He wanted from his dancers a long unbroken leg line and deftly articulated legs and feet: a ballet bottom combined with a dramatically expressive upper torso: a modern top. "What I like is the line and technical range that classical ballet gives to the body. But I still want to project to the audience the expressiveness that only modern dance offers, especially for the inner king of things”
Also unique was Ailey ability to create partnerships, so he had places to practice and perform, his driving energy and flexibility. Not only did he create the ability to perform, he took it on the road with “station wagon tours”. The first performance of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre was at the New York's 92nd Street Young Men's Hebrew Association, under the name Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the production consisted of seven dancers and the artistic director. Thus Ailey was, at this point, the company's director, choreographer, and principle dancer. They became a resident company of the 51st Street YWCA's Clark Center for the Performing Arts. It was during this period that Ailey choreographed his famous work Revelations, a character dance done to traditional music. Two years later, Ailey changed his all-black dance