Morgan Freeman introduces honoree Judith Jamison at the 22nd Kennedy Center Honors in 1999. Continue reading
Tag: Cry
1/3/23 O&A NYC DANCE REVIEW: The Genius of Alvin Ailey
By Walter Rutledge
Another bout of Covid (our third slow dance) prevented me from seeing the new works presented during the first and second weeks of the Ailey season. When Covid and I finished our Rumba, I attended an All-Ailey matinee featuring four works, Night Creature, Cry, Survivors and Revelations. Continue reading
6/18/21 O&A NYC SHALL WE DANCE FRIDAY: Ailey Juneteenth Celebration
Ailey Celebrates Juneteenth is an uplifting program that features performance highlights from Alvin Ailey’s Cry and Revelations, as well as Rennie Harris’ Lazarus. Continue reading
6/9/20 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY: Revelations From A Lifetime Of Dance- Judith Jamison and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
“Dance can elevate our human experience beyond words,” says Judith Jamison, artistic director emerita of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. In between performances of excerpts from Alvin Ailey’s classic works “Revelations” and “Cry,” Jamison reflects on the enduring power of dance to transform history into art that thrills audiences around the world. (Performances by Solomon Dumas, Samantha Figgins and Constance Stamatiou)
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3/22/20 O&A NYC GOSPEL SUNDAY: Alvin Ailey’s Cry With Yolanda Adams and Jacqueline Green (Black Girls Rock 2018)
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater dancer and Baltimore School for the Arts alumna Jacqueline Green ’07 performs Ailey’s iconic solo Cry (1972). Continue reading
3/6/23 O&A NYC CELEBRATING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: Deborah Manning in Cry- Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Deborah Manning performs Alvin Ailey’s tribute to woman (especially our mothers) Cry (1971). Continue reading
11/17/18 O&A NYC SATURDAY MORNING CONCERT: Cosby Celebrates Ailey
Cosby Celebrates Ailey conceived, co-produced and written by former Ailey dancer and choreographer George Faison. The program, which was taped more than a year prior to airing, celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater; and features Ailey himself dancing in the opening section. Continue reading
3/7/17 O&A NYC INSPIRATIONAL TUESDAY- CELEBRATING WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: Judith Jamison- 22nd Kennedy Center Honors
Morgan Freeman introduces honoree Judith Jamison at the 22nd Kennedy Center Honors in 1999. Continue reading
8/6/16 (REPOST) Tribute To Dudley Williams: A Song For You (1986)
In 1972, Alvin Ailey created the elegiac solo Love Songs for dancer Dudley Williams. The sixteen minute solo, composed in three sections includes A Song for You by Donny Hathaway; Poppies by Nina Simone; and He Ain’t Heavy, He’s my Brother by Donny Hathaway. Many thought of the work as the male equivalent of the female solo Cry (1971). Continue reading
8/21/17 (REPOST) O&A NYC DANCE: Alvin Ailey- Cry
By Walter Rutledge
In 1971, Alvin Ailey created Cry, one of his signature dance works, as a birthday present for his mother Lula Elizabeth Ailey. Ailey dedicated the ballet to “all black women everywhere — especially our mothers.” The three-part ballet, set to popular and gospel music by Alice Coltrane, Laura Nyro and Chuck Griffin, depicts a woman’s journey through the agonies of slavery to an ecstatic state of grace. Cry premiered at New York City Center on May 4, 1971. Continue reading