A night at the Music Center with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre

Early this April, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre performed in LA at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion as part of their North American tour. Throughout the weekend, they performed two different shows, a Program A and a Program B that were split up between the seven showtimes. Both programs ended with the renowned piece Revelations, first performed in 1960. While I can’t say much for Program B, watching Program A was a phenomenal experience. 

The company was founded in 1958 by none other than Alvin Ailey. He learned how to dance at the Lester Horton Studio in LA, and as a result, audiences in LA are especially enthusiastic as they recognize that his work stems from roots in their same community. I experienced this myself while watching, noticing people singing and clapping along, some even dancing to the choreography. 

The first act consisted of Sacred Songs, choreographed in 2024 by Matthew Rushing, the current interim artistic director. Rushing honored Ailey’s iconic Revelations by working closely with a composer to reimagine music that had been in the original work but was later edited out. The choreography also expands on signature Ailey motifs, such as the need for faith, resilience, and joy. Sacred Songs was an intense piece, and immediately immersed the audience into the dancers’ world. It started really slow with dark lighting, but quickly became fast and almost frantic feeling. As several dancers soloed to faster music, they seemed more and more free. 

All photos from the Alvin Ailey website

The second act started with Many Angels and then after a short pause, it resumed with Treading. Many Angels is a piece choreographed by Lar Lubovitch in 2024, and set to music by Gustav Mahler. It had more of an elegance to it than the previous piece, with slower movements and more melodious music. Starting with five people in slightly translucent costumes dancing against a backdrop of heavenly clouds, it really did have an angel and heaven-like feel to it. 

After a pause, the second act continued with Treading, a piece that premiered in 1979. Choreographed by Elisa Monte to mysterious music by Steve Reich, this piece involved two dancers showcasing their partnering skills, their bodies often intertwined with one another. They moved as a unit, never doing something solely by themselves, but depending on the other to communicate the story that the choreography evokes. 

The third act, Revelations, was incredibly celebratory, and actually a piece that first premiered quite a while ago, back in 1960. It runs for just under forty minutes, with three different parts: Pilgrim of Sorrow, Take Me to the Water, and Move, Members, Move. The music was a drastic change from the previous acts, with people dancing to music such as gospel songs and African American spirituals. The piece was sparked by Ailey’s childhood, when he spent his days in rural Texas and the Baptist Church. He described the African American heritage as “sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful,” and really tried to embody that into his choreography. What ensued was an iconic modern dance work that continues to be performed year after year. 

I would wholeheartedly recommend seeing the Alvin Ailey American Dance Company perform in person next time they come to LA, but for the time being, you can watch fractions of their pieces on the 'Repertory' section of their website. If you want more information and history on the company, visit https://ailey.org/.