4/8/18 O&A NYC IN MEMORARIUM: Donald McKayle (July 6, 1930 – April 7, 2018)- Rainbow Round My Shoulder with Mary Hinkson

Dancer, choreographer, educator and author Donald McKayle passed on April 7, 2018 at age 87.  In honor of this dance icon O&A NYC posts his 1959 masterwork, Rainbow Round My Shoulder. Continue reading

4/1/18 O&A NYC DANCE- GOSPEL SUNDAY EXTRA: I Wanna Be Ready- Matthew Rushing

On March 30, 1958, the dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey (1931-1989) launched his company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, at a performance in New York City that forever changed the face of American dance. He was 27 years old.

In honor of the Company’s 60th anniversary, Matthew Rushing – a 25-year veteran of the Ailey company — performed the iconic solo “I Wanna Be Ready” from Mr. Ailey’s classic work, Revelations. Filmed in Rogers, Texas, where Mr. Ailey was born and lived as a young child, Mr. Rushing’s performance features live accompaniment by five local singers.

I Wanna Be Ready

3/12/18 O&A NYC DANCE: Conversation With Khalia Campbell- Ailey II

Khalia Campbell is one of those individuals who was born to dance. Her talent, drive and natural God given ability have aligned in this endeavor, and the result is awe-inspiring. Campbell will be on full display this week as Ailey ll begins their spring season on Wednesday March 14th at the Ailey Citigroup Theater. Continue reading

3/4/18 O&A NYC SUNDAY AFTERNOON JAZZ CONCERT: Mary Lou’s Mass-Excerpt Featuring The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Alvin Ailey’s collaboration with jazz pianist and composer Mary Lou Williams, two artists who shared roots and memories in the southern church, is a deeply spirited theatrical experience.
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12/31/17 O&A NYC GOSPEL SUNDAY: Revelations- Alvin Ailey

Alvin Ailey’s masterwork Revelations (1960), one of the most recognizable modern dance works, remains a powerful testament to the human spirit. This cast includes April Berry, Kevin Brown, Ralph Glenmore Deborah Manning, Renee Robinson and Marilyn Banks.  Continue reading

12/25/17 O&A NYC DANCE: Judith Jamison, Kevin Rotardier, and George Faison Perform Revelations Excerpts At The Hollywood Palace (1968)

2009-02-27-judithjamisoninalvinaileysrevelationsphotobyaileyarchives

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater performed two excerpts from his masterwork Revelations on the weekly television variety show The Hollywood Palace (1968). The episode hosted by Diahann Carroll helped give the then fledgling dance company national attention. The cast included Judith Jamison, George Faison and Kelvin Rotardier.  Continue reading

12/19/17 O&A NYC DANCE: A Conversation With Jeroboam Bozeman

Jeroboam Bozeman is living his dream. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s New York City Center season marks Bozeman’s fifth season with the company. This is quite a remarkable feat for any dancer especially for a young man from Brooklyn, who grew up shy and introverted. Continue reading

11/28/17 O&A NYC DANCE: Ailey Company To Dance George Faison’s Suite Otis At Gala

By Walter Rutledge

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will present an excerpt of George Faison’s masterwork Suite Otis at their New York City Center season opening night gala, Wednesday, November 29 2017. Choreographed in 1971 for the George Faison Universal Dance Experience the work joined the Ailey repertoire in 1977. 40 years after it’s Ailey debut Suite Otis continues to excite and entertain audiences with verve, aplomb, fleet footed technique and imaginative Archimedean storytelling.

The company will perform the finale section set to Otis Redding’s Tenderness. The full cast section reintroduces the dancers creating a visually exciting yet compelling epilog. Throughout the work Faison (the imperial storyteller) does what every choreographer should do- invites us into his vision and delivers with clarity, focus and impeccable choreographic timing.

Balletomanes still long for the return of old fashion honest storytelling- the hallmark of Ailey’s original company. In Suite Otis Faison’s articulate use of the dance narrative genre captures the majesty and universal humanity of both Otis Redding’s music and the black dance experience. This gave him a voice in an era when Black American dance and culture had started to becoming a global  force.

Suite Otis- George Faison

What Faison did (and continues to do) is to keep the dance/theatre aesthetic in the forefront of the arts conversation. Tenderness will be performed for one performance only on Wednesday, November 29 for tickets and a complete schedule of the five-week New York City season visit ailey.org.

12/28/17 O&A NYC: THROWBACK THURSDAY: I Wanna Be Ready (1986)


dudleywilliams

In a long, brilliant career, Dudley Williams worked with such artists as Martha Graham, Talley Beatty, and Donald McKayle. Most significantly, he was a member of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for more than forty years. He will be forever linked to his interpretation of the solo I Wanna Be Ready from Alvin Ailey’s masterwork Revelations.

 “[Dudley Williams is] amazing—an inspiration to everybody, a real poet with movement.” –Alvin Ailey from Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey.

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6/16/17 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Dudley Williams last Performance- Dance Of The Village Elders

By Walter Rutledge

Dudley Williams was a performing artist, and teacher and a friend. I often referred to him as the “Lyric Prince of Modern Dance” a moniker that he enjoyed. In reality Dudley was a fighter. And the bantamweight dancer was in a battle with time, he simply refused to let it stop him from dancing. Continue reading