AUBURN, Ala. (EETV) - The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s 2024 tour visited Auburn University's Gogue Performing Arts Center on February 20 and 21. The show, part of the Gogue’s 2023-24 Dance & Movement Series featured three acts that celebrate life, resilience and African-American culture.
The first of the acts, “Century”, is inspired by choreographer Amy Hall Garner’s grandfather Henry Spooner on the eve of his 100th birthday. It is Garner’s first work with Ailey, and the themes of spirit and joy are consistent throughout. With eccentric costumes and unconventional choreography, the dancers leap to unique instrumental music by Ray Charles.
Choreographer Alonzo King arranged the second act, titled “Following the Subtle Current Upstream”. The moves center around the resilience of the human spirit and “investigates deeply rooted affinities between Western and Eastern classical forms”. The abstract movements are set to a score by Zakir Hussain, Miguel Frasconi and Miriam Makeba.
Using African-American song sermons and gospel music, the final act “Revelations” is perhaps Ailey’s best-known work. Choreographed by Ailey in 1960, the dances have transcended decades of civil rights struggles and changes to the dance world. It simultaneously explores themes of grief and joy, based on Ailey’s own “blood memories” of his childhood in rural Texas and the Baptist church. Beloved by many generations of Ailey fans, “Revelations” has changed the common perception of dance performance and become the most widely seen modern dance work in the world.
Alvin Ailey was a trailblazer of modern dance. Born in Texas in 1931, Ailey was the director of one of the first integrated dance companies in the country, the Lester Horton Dance Theater. His works primarily centered around the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience.
He founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in 1958 “to carry out his vision of a company dedicated to enriching the American modern dance heritage and preserving the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience.” His programs promote the arts through education, particularly in disadvantaged communities.
Ailey posthumously received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014, the highest civilian honor in the country, in recognition of his commitments to dance and civil rights. His works and visions are survived by the company and its many fans across the globe.
Since its origination, the company has performed for an estimated 25 million people at theaters in 48 states and 71 countries across six continents. More than 270 works by over 100 choreographers have been added to the Ailey repertory.
Before he died in 1989, Ailey named Judith Jamison as his successor. She currently serves as director of the company and has brought unprecedented success to keep Ailey’s visions and memory alive.
To learn more about the company and its current tour, visit their website.
