Still We Rise

On Friday, I headed down to the Sony Centre for the 60th Anniversary Tour of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company. Normally, I would use the subway but my companions were driving down. I had no idea how frustratingly stressful that was with all the other cars on the road, the construction, closed-off lanes, and snow piles blocking streets. So we were unable to have a leisurely dinner but only had time for a quick meal at the marketplace-style Marché Mövenpick.

Tonight's show was a retrospective of Alvin Ailey's repertoire. The first piece, Stack-Up, from 1982 was fun but fluff. It time-travelled us back to the enjoy music, dances, and fashion (stylized for dance) of the late 70s and early 80s. Members Don't Get Weary (2017) was more relevant with the dancers dressed in country/working-class garb expressing the frustration of the down-trodden and overworked. But it was odd that a piece taking its inspiration from the blues would use a jazz number from John Coltrane.

Ella (2006) was a short but enjoyable demonstration of crowd-pleasing dance and acrobatics set to the exquisite scatting of Ella Fitzgerald. Revelations was the pièce de résistance. Over several set pieces, it brought us the African-American experience: pain, sorrow, but also full of joy and deep faith. All the songs were gospels and spirituals and engaged the cheering audience as much as the dancing. Given the response it evoked now, when Revelations debut in 1960, it must have been astonishing.