One of the most storied dance companies in the country is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year with artists of all ages learning and perfecting the art of dance and movement.
When guests walk into the modern glass building of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in Midtown Manhattan, they enter a large open lobby covered in posters of performers adorning the walls. Classical music, jazz and traditional African drums pours out of different studios throughout the building.
Solomon Dumas is in his eighth season as a dancer with the company. In a small rehearsal room on the sixth floor, he recently rehearsed “For ‘Bird’ With Love,” one of the “Ailey Classics” pieces honoring the jazz saxophonist Charlie “Bird” Parker.
Wearing a T-shirt and sweats, the 35-year-old Dumas floated across the floor as a dramatic sunlit, skyline view of the city flooded in behind him from the floor-to-ceiling windows.
“The most fulfilling part is to have the honor of performing his work, tapping into that human spirit,” Dumas said of Ailey. “What’s most important is that, you know, historically, there was once in our nation’s history where Black people weren’t even considered human. But to see his work, explore and amplify the humanity of Black people and then to see other people connect with that is what’s so genius about Mr. Ailey’s legacy.”
In the spotlight of its anniversary, the dance theater stands as a testament to the transformative power of movement and the enduring legacy of its visionary founder. Beyond the stage, the theater remains a symbol of resilience, inspiring generations and leaving a lasting mark on the world of dance. Six and a half decades later, its impact resonates far beyond the realm of the performing arts.
A Chicago native, Dumas was introduced to dance through Ailey Camp, now in its 35th year, the last project Ailey started before he died in 1989 at 58. Through the camp, Dumas fell in love with dance and all it had to offer.
“I was completely blown away seeing people who looked like me doing these amazing things. And they were all beautiful. And they were all educated. And they traveled the world. And I said I want to do exactly that,” Dumas said.
After joining Ailey Camp as a kid in 2001, Dumas attended a performing arts high school before returning to the Ailey Company as a professional dancer in 2016.
“What Mr. Ailey was able to do, if you look at any of his works, he was able to tap into so many different genres,” Dumas said. “It was like a gumbo of genres.”
Ailey was born in Rogers, Texas, in 1931, and his experience as a child in the rural South under segregation greatly influenced his life and work.
His upbringing in the Baptist church, and what he frequently referred to as “blood memories,” would later shape his most memorable pieces.
At the age of 12, Ailey left Texas for Los Angeles, where he was introduced to dance and his formal training began under the mentorship of Lester Horton. Horton is credited with establishing the first racially integrated professional dance company in the U.S. After Horton died in 1953 at 47, Ailey took over as director of Lester Horton’s Dance Theater before starting his own company in 1958.
At 27, Ailey began showcasing the wide range of Black experiences on the stage. His pieces humanized the Black experience for all audience members. During his career, however, he still faced racism and homophobia for his work. He choreographed more than 100 pieces, most of them ballet, with perhaps his most recognizable being “Revelations.”
“‘Revelations’ is a masterpiece,” said Matthew Rushing, the associate artistic director of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. “Revelations’ is a tool of communication. ‘Revelations’ is a tool of expression of the African American culture, but also spirit universally.”
The piece ebbs and flows through intense emotions as audience members watch the story of how African Americans went from enslavement to freedom.
Rushing remembers seeing “Revelations” for the first time when he was a teenager sitting in the front row.
“I had recently been baptized at a beach, of all places, but when I saw an experience that I just lived, to be danced on a concert stage, I felt like someone was seeing who I am. I felt there was a connection,” he said.
“I felt seen, I felt heard, and it also planted a seed in me that kind of told me, you can do great things,” Rushing said.
Rushing joined the Ailey company as a dancer for several years before shifting gears to its creative team.
Today, he spends time rehearsing and choreographing pieces for the company. He said he recognizes the impact of Ailey’s style of dance on both artists and audience.
“We talk about how the art form gives one value [and] self awareness,” Rushing said. “It gives you skills to function in everyday life. And it gives us a sense of freedom. It gives us a sense of expression that maybe words can’t tap into.”
These principles are still carried out today by artists who worked directly with Ailey, like Nasha Thomas, now the national director of Ailey Camp. The camp is a six-week program for kids aged 11-14 to learn dance skills and explore their creativity.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Thomas oversees camp programming for young dancers in 10 cities across the country. While dance is at the core of the camp, the campers walk away with more than just new moves. Over the course of the six weeks, they also take classes in creative writing, nutrition, goal setting and conflict resolution.
“Working with Alvin Ailey was just the best,” Thomas said. “Out of 30 dancers he had a way of making everybody feel special. He loved people. He was a very giving person.”
Ailey hand-selected Thomas to join his company in 1986, and she performed globally with the theater for over 12 years.
Thomas said that although Ailey received many honors, one of his biggest accomplishments was bringing the art of dance back to communities where it wasn’t always accessible.
One of the most successful programs to do this is the Ailey Camp — the same program that introduced Dumas to dance.
“For some of these young people that can’t see past their environment, their home life and their situation, what they don’t have, it gives them a vision of what is possible,” Thomas said.
In celebrating Ailey’s 65th anniversary, the company will embark on a national tour that will make stops in 21 different cities, performing new and classic pieces.
As the country begins its reflections on Black History Month, Thomas said Ailey’s legacy is one that everyone can learn from.
“I think we should remember that he was about unity,” Thomas said. “And he was about sharing the beauty of people of color, but in a way that everyone could celebrate, could connect to — his story was universal.”
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Source: | This article originally belongs to Nbcnews.com
