By: Dr. Mary
MIAMI – Kyle Abraham’s Untitled America performed by Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is remarkable! This piece is thought provoking, head scratching, and a beautiful work of art!
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is a true “dancing with a purpose,” ensemble.
For those who have heard of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater but do not know who he was, here is a piece of history.
According to Bio.com, Mr. Ailey was born in Texas in 1931 by a teenage mother; needless to say, his father was not in his life. He left Texas for Los Angles when he was 12-years old and began attending school in LA and did very well. One day he went to see the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo perform. This is what helped stimulate his interest in dance and he became inspired to perform. In 1949 he studied modern dance with Lester Horton and joined his company the following year.
Mr. Ailey later became a choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York City in 1958.
According to their website, “when Mr. Ailey began creating dances, he drew upon his ‘blood memories’ of Texas, the blues, spirituals, and gospel as inspiration, which resulted in the creation of his most popular and critically acclaimed work, Revelations. “
In 2008, “a US Congressional resolution designated the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater as ‘a vital American cultural ambassador to the world’ that celebrates the uniqueness of the African-American cultural experience and the preservation and enrichment of the American modern dance heritage.”
Mr. Ailey created 79 ballets over his lifetime and affirmed that his company was not exclusively a place for his own work. But, his work continues to live on in the many performances that the theater does.
Ailey died of AIDS in December of 1989 in New York City and prior to his death he named Judith Jamison as his successor.
In 2011 she named Robert Battle to succeed her and The New York Times declared he “has injected the company with new life.”
On February 24, 2017 the Dance Theater performed at the Adrienne Arsht Center. This theater is amazing. The sound is phenomenal, lighting is great, and most of all the seats are comfortable.
The dance theater was brilliant. The Revelations number was superb as usual. “Since its creation in 1960, according to their website, Revelations has consistently enraptured audiences all over the world with the perfect blend of reverent grace and spiritual elation.” This piece was wonderfully done and magnificent.
Revelations consisted of Five Performances Feature, according to their New Choreographic Treasures, and was performed by 32 Dancers Including Miami’s Award-Winning Ailey Star Jamar Roberts. The “Wade in the Water and Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham” pieces are the perfect pieces for a spiritual uplift.
However, what stole the show, in my opinion, was the Untitled America piece. You could not hear a pin drop. It was remarkable. The cast was dressed in what was perceived to be jail garb and danced their heart out while songs like “Father, Father” by Laura Pauline Amanda, Mvula and Steven James Brown played in the back ground. There were also sound bites from interviews of individual presumably who were incarcerated which played in the background.
According to Robert Battle the Untitled America piece is about “families that go through the prison system. Families in prison, sometimes there are entire families that go through the prison system. He said when Kyle Abraham came to him with this idea he thought it was “It was very timely as we look at systems and systems that work and systems that are antiquated and don’t work.” Mr. Kyle Abraham said while talking about this piece “so many people that look like me can’t even make it to the prison we’ve been shot before we even get to a trial.”
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Choreography: Kyle Abraham
Photo ©2016 Paul Kolnik
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Mr. Abraham said what he hoped people get out of Untitled America is: “I’m hopeful that people will walk away ideally thinking about what families mean to them and connecting to their families in new ways or reconnect to families that they haven’t been in touch with.”
This number is insightful! In Ava Duvernay, film 13th it is stated that “97% of people who are currently in prison never had a trial.” This is a ridiculous number; our prison crisis definitely deserves some attention. Good for you Mr. Abraham!
Something important to note is that Fana Fraser born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago dances for the Theater and Imai Faye who studied dance at Jamaica School of Dance in Kingston, Jamaica. Way to go guys!
