Alvin Ailey first began sketching out a suite of Ellington works on the newly formed the Repertory Workshop of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center which later became known as Ailey II. Continue reading
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Category: Dance History
8/7/20 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Bob Fosse Documentary
Bob Fosse stunned the musical theatre world when he went from dance darling to world class choreographer and director. Continue reading
7/31/20 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Leo Holder discusses Dougla- Bonus 1977 DTH Performance of Dougla
Leo Holder, son of the choreographer Geoffrey Holder, and Dance Theatre of Harlem Artistic Director Virginia Johnson discuss the origins of Dougla. This is followed by a special presentation of Dougla from a 1977 PBS Broadcast.
7/28/20 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Dougla
The 2018 return of Geoffrey Holder’s masterwork Dougla to the repertoire Dance Theatre of Harlem (DTH) was a resounding success. The work is a sensorially sumptuous movement fest; and it is no wonder Dougla has remained an audience favorite since its premiere on April 16, 1974.
7/25/20 O&A NYC THE SATURDAY MORNING CONCERT: Alvin Ailey’s Blues Suite
Blues Suite is the first work Alvin Ailey created for the Ailey company in 1958 and we hope you enjoy this 1985 recording that was a part of an hour-long TV special called Three by Three, which was aired on PBS’ Dance in America series. Available for one week only, now through July 30 at 7pm EDT. Continue reading
(Repost) 7/23/20 O&A NYC THROWBACK THURSDAY: Jamison, Rotardier, and Faison Perform Revelations Excerpts- Hollywood Palace (1968)
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
7/14/20 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: 102 Yr. Old Harlem Dancer Sees Herself On Film For The First Time
In 2015, shortly before her passing, 102 year old dancer Alice Barker got to finally see herself perform as a chorus line dancer during Harlem Renaissance. Continue reading
8/21/21 O&A NYC DIVO ALERT TRIBUTE: Faison, Godreau and Williams- Road of the Pheobe Snow
Divo Alert! George Faison, Miguel Godreau and Dudley Williams dance in an excerpt from Talley Beatty’s The Road Of The Pheobe Snow with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Continue reading
6/26/20 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: A Hymn for Alvin Ailey- A Documentary Film
The documentary film A Hymn for Alvin Ailey goes behind the scenes of Judith Jamison’s Hymn and gives you a look at Alvin Ailey’s life from the perspective of those who knew him best. Continue reading
6/18/20 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Donald Byrd’s Greenwood- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Greenwood, Donald Byrd‘s fifth Ailey commission draws on the Company’s theatrical roots and legacy of addressing social injustice. The work’s title references a 1921 tragedy that happened in Tulsa, Oklahoma’s segregated Greenwood District. At the time, it was one of the country’s most affluent African American communities, known as Black Wall Street.
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