Last night's Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's ODETTA premiere performance was star studded with guests including Harry Belafonte, Laverne Cox, Jessye Norman, Carmen de Lavallade, Bevy Smith, Suzanne Vega, Ruben Santiago Hudson, Michela Angela Davis, Khalil Kain, Rochelle Aytes, Pastors Michael A Walrond Jr., and Reverend LaKeesha Waldrond attending Matthew Rushing's world premiere. Fittingly, ODETTA, which celebrates the legendary singer known as the "voice of the Civil Rights Movement," premiered on National Human Rights Day. BroadwayWorld has photos from the premiere below!
Classes for Kids and Teens are back this September at The Ailey Extension in conjunction with the new school year and National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Starting Sunday, September 7th, tailor-made classes will bring dance and fitness to young people, including: Tiny Steps, a unique experience for 2-year-olds, Hip-Hop 4 Kids (ages 7-11), and the Teen Extension Series (ages 12-17), with ballet, jazz or hip-hop. Weekly classes are taught in a “no-pressure” environment allowing students to gain confidence not only in their dancing abilities, but in themselves.
In keeping with my advice-giving for young people, I thought I'd address the question of becoming a "triple threat." As I've mentioned before, working at Camp Broadway has made me an official source of guidance for a lot of parents and young performers. The early phone calls were intimidating, I'll admit. Why anyone would trust what I had to say was baffling, but rather than backing away, I decided to face the challenge head-on, and I've learned to go into rehearsal settings, auditions and shows with an eye that's geared toward taking away tips that are helpful for young people wondering what to do next in their journey toward being a performer.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater presents Ronald K. Brown's newest work, Four Corners. Set to the music of Carl Hancock Rux, Yacoub, and various other artists, the work brings to life the vision of four angels standing on the four corners of the earth holding the four winds. The Ailey dancers have become known as inspiring interpreters oF Brown's unique dance storytelling and the opening night world premiere cast will include Linda Celeste Sims, Belen Pereyra, Glenn Allen Sims, Demetia Hopkins, Hope Boykin, Fana Tesfagiorgis, Jacqueline Green, Kirven James Boyd, Daniel Harder, and Michael Francis McBride.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Robert Battle has announced casting for the Company's return to Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts at the David H. Koch Theater from June 12-16, 2013. He has also invited three new dancers to join and perform with the acclaimed 30 member Company during the seven-performance engagement.
Sold out performances in Germany, Austria, and France, launched Ailey II's first ever global tour that will visit a total of 49 cities throughout Europe and North America. Now at the peak of its popularity, the Company has reached a new level of prominence as young American cultural ambassadors, using the beauty and humanity of the African-American experience and the American Modern dance tradition to inspire and unite people of all backgrounds.
