This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, March 9, 2011 - Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's three performances at the Fox Theatre this weekend are part of an extensive national tour celebrating the 50th year of Ailey's signature ballet "Revelations," a tribute to the late choreographer's childhood and African-American heritage.
An American classic, "Revelations" has been seen by more people throughout the world than any other work of modern dance. Set to the melodies of traditional gospel spirituals, the ballet explores multiple facets of African-American religious life. On a universal level, the ballet represents fundamental aspects of the human condition: grief, joy, struggle and belonging. Yet the work is also intensely personal.
"'Revelations' tells the story of Alvin's life," said Claire Tunkel, one of two Ailey faculty members in St. Louis on a three-week teaching residency in area schools. "It's about growing up in the South during segregation, Alvin's memories of the church, gospel music, women he knew and singing. It's a beautiful, timeless story."
Ailey was a 29-year-old fledging choreographer in New York City when he created "Revelations" for a concert at the 92nd Street Y, a performance venue on Manhattan's upper eastside where emerging choreographers could present their work. The ballet is now universally acclaimed as one of the masterpieces of 20th century dance.
Comprised of three sections -- Pilgrims of Sorrow, Wade in the Water, and Move, Members, Move! -- "Revelations" conveys intensity of emotion through graceful, strong movements. The choreography is characterized by long, lateral lines and angular shapes and draws largely on the movement vocabulary of modern dancer Lester Horton, Ailey's most influential teacher.
"It's been 50 years since Alvin created 'Revelations,' and during this time it has absorbed so much history," Tunkel said. "Dancers have incorporated many of their own memories of Alvin into this work. They bring their own interpretations to the choreography, all of which give the ballet new meaning. Every time I see it, I walk away with something new."
'Revelations' at St. Louis Schools
For the past three weeks, Tunkel and fellow teaching artist Michael Leon Thomas have been teaching excerpts of "Revelations" to dance students at eight elementary, middle and high schools in the St. Louis area.
An objective of the residency, made possible through the efforts of Dance St. Louis, is to familiarize students with sequences from Revelations and prepare them for the company performance. But the workshops are also designed to help these young dancers learn more about themselves.
"One of our main goals is to encourage kids to make a personal connection to this work," said Tunkel, who is teaching at five area schools, including University City High School and McKinley Classical Academy. "Alvin always talked about blood memories [our deepest recollections of past experiences]. 'Revelations' is an articulation of his own blood memories. In our workshops, St. Louis kids connect with things that happen in their own lives, and then translate these experiences into movement."
Teaching artist Michael Leon Thomas, who danced in the Ailey company for six years, is working with kids from Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, Grand Center Arts Academy, St. Louis Juvenile Detention Center and other institutions.
"For someone who has danced 'Revelations' numerous times, one of the most poignant moments of teaching in St. Louis has been seeing how quickly these kids take to it," Thomas said. "I've been working with them on 'I've Been Buked,' the opening scene of 'Revelations,' which is mainly about the daily struggle of African Americans during the depression years in the rural south.
"These kids are from a completely different world. They were born after the civil rights period and they spend a lot of their time texting. But when they see the curtain open to a group of dancers in earth-tone costumes, their legs stretched in second position, their sternums raised, their hands splayed open and their focus lifted upward, they empathize. They want to participate. It's uplifting to be a part of the process."
Tribute to Harlem Renaissance
In addition to Revelations, the Friday and Saturday evening performances at the Fox will feature "Uptown," a theatrical tribute to the legends of the Harlem Renaissance from the 1920s.
Choreographed in 2009 by 19-year company veteran Matthew Rushing, this eight-part work is set to songs from the period by Fats Waller, Eubie Blake and Paul Robeson.
"I've always had a huge interest in the Harlem Renaissance," Rushing said. "I began working on this project back in 2008 when I was injured and the Ailey company was on an international tour. While recovering back in New York, I had a lot of free time. That's when I started researching at the New York Performing Arts Library and the Schomburg [Center for Research in Black Culture] in Harlem."
While many sections focus on the great entertainers of the period, such as dancer Josephine Baker and blues singer Ethel Waters, others pay tribute to the literary and political figures that helped transform Harlem into a center for progressive thought and political activism.
"It's important to keep in mind that the Harlem Renaissance was not just about the dancers and performers," Rushing said. "It was the meeting point for the great intellectuals. The section 'Great Minds' pays homage to the lives and works of W.E.B Dubois, Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes."
Sydney Norton writes on dance and visual arts.