Fifty years ago, African American dancer Alvin Ailey conceived one of the most intricate and spiritual performances ever produced. Hosted now at City Center in Manhattan, Alvin Ailey’s “Revelations” tells a tale of sorrow and relief, cleansing of sins, and pure joy through the medium of dance. Accompanied by soulful blues music and spiritual hymns, Revelations draws on the struggle of African Americans through history, something Alvin Ailey referred to as his, “Blood memories”.
Alvin Ailey himself was an accomplished dancer, producing 79 works for the performers in his company, and often collaborating with other well known dancers, like Lester Horton, and incorporated Horton’s technique into his own style. The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre is world renowned, and the group has performed over 200 different productions since its beginnings.
Ailey conceived Revelations by recalling his childhood in rural Texas, going to church on hot summer days, and witnessing baptisms. His faith was a major theme of his work, and Revelations does an excellent job of extending that faith to the audience.
Reaching for the heavens. Source : tonyaplank.com
A story in 3 acts, the first part of Revelations is entitled, “Pilgrim of Sorrow”, and features nine dancers that stoop bowed, taking low stances, and periodically reaching upward towards the light. The music is slow and mournful, and the dancers appear very introspective. They convey an enormous sense of weight and yearning, their shabby brown clothing emphasizing their mortality. “Pilgrim of Sorrow” ends with the song “Fix me Jesus”, where a woman is guided through her movements by a man, a representation of an angel on earth.
Act two, “Take me to the Water”, begins with a man leading a young couple across the stage, waving white cloths, as if to herald good news. The music has a faster tempo and is more upbeat, and large sheets of silk are stretched across stage, bringing the image of a baptism to life. The dancers bodies ripple like water itself, fluid motions and inspiring vocals merge in a way that would bring a tear to your eye. A baptism is about washing away the sins of the old, and entering a new life, and the intense duet at the end of “Take me to the Water” illuminates the happiness and excitement one would be after being cleansed.
The women rejoice. Source: voiceofdance.com
Act three, “Move, Members, Move” may bring back poignant images of a stifling Sunday morning in church. The women are clad head to toe in yellow, with long flowing dresses and yellow fans to beat the heat. The men are in their Sunday best, garbed with vests and dress pants, and they all step in unison to a wonderfully choreographed dance utilizing stools and their fans. The women keep their hands on their back and their heads held high, possessing an air of dignity and inspiring awe.
Alvin Ailey’s Revelations was truly one of the best dance productions I’ve ever seen. Their company wasn’t called “Cultural Ambassador to the World” for no reason, because they’ve performed this and other amazing shows for five decades now. Every aspect of the show was incredible, even the dancers themselves were works of art. Everyone was perfectly sculpted, men whose legs were as thick as tree trunks but as sprightly as any of the women, and petit young girls with exceptional functional strength. I cannot recommend seeing this show enough, it might even change your life and your most personal beliefs.
Nicely written