Program highlights on
Wed., Jan. 30 and Friday, Feb. 1 include: Paul Taylor’s
Arden Court, a piece significant to Battle that stirred him to describe Taylor as a choreographer who “…has the language of a great poet in his dances.”
The program continues with Battle’s Takademe, the Indian
Kathak dance inspired piece with percussive, high-flying dance elements,
which Battle first choreographed the in his tiny Queens, N.Y. living
room while still a member of the Parsons Dance
Company. Home, a bold hip-hop piece puts the spotlight
on Philly native choreographer Rennie Harris; inspired by the stories of
people living with and affected by HIV,
Home first premiered on December 1, 2011, World Aids Day, a
poignant memory for the Ailey organization as it is the same date
founder Alvin Ailey died from the disease in 1989. The program closes
with Ailey’s signature masterpiece,
Revelations, which pays homage to and reflects the cultural heritage of the African-American experience.
The program for
Thursday, Jan. 31 showcases choreographer Ronald K. Brown’s
Grace, a spellbinding piece depicting individuals on a journey to the promised land that
The New York Times describes as, “astounding, something to be sensed as well as seen.” Jamaican-born choreographer Garth Fagan (Tony Award winner for
The Lion King) echoes his West Indian tradition in From Before, with a rhythmic, uplifting score composed by Trinidadian Grammy winner Ralph McDonald.
In this ensemble work, undulating torsos move independently of gyrating hips, juxtaposed against fiery solos.
Robert Battle’s company premiere of
Strange Humors, showcases an
eccentric, jocular display of two dancers performing to a fiery score
by Composer John Mackey that includes elements of African hand drumming
and Middle
Eastern folk music. The performance closes with Ailey’s widely-popular and beloved cultural treasure,
Revelations.
Tickets for
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater are $39 to $75 and can be purchased by calling 215-893-1999, online at
www.kimmelcenter.org,
or at the Kimmel Center box office open daily from 10am to 6pm and
later on performance evenings. (Additional fees may apply.) For group
sales call 215-790-5883.
Follow @jaszwhaley
Follow @iSocialite
Blogger Comment
Facebook Comment