Review: ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER at Warner Theatre

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater kicked off a 20-city tour with 11 shows at the Warner Theatre. Every night held its own program full of instantly iconic world premieres and everlasting repertoire favorites. 

Ailey is one of the world’s most prolific contemporary dance companies, and it’s still underrated. Every piece they’ve added to their repertoire through this showcase was clearly chosen with reverence and passion to maintain its elite position in the dance landscape.

Embrace by Fredrick Earl Mosley brought warmth to the freezing night. Vivid color blots of dancers moved against mid-toned wooden pallets to portray intimate scenes of humanity. The conductors of their movement were songs that are iconic for their depictions of love and relationships—“This Woman’s Work” by Maxwell contained an intimate duet of lovebirds hanging all over each other, while “What About Us” by P!nk empowered a beat of conflict and community mediation. Joyous sequences of movement, connection, grasping, and touching put on stage what people feel in their hearts. Through Embrace, one could imagine a world where people loved each other more deeply and understood each other more easily. 

Matthew Neenan’s debut piece with Ailey carried the community deeper into complex dynamics in Difference Between. The performers and stage were washed in an electric blue, and raw, warbly vocals from Heather Christian sent shocks through the theater with each new soundbyte. Exploring the entire range of the stage, dancers flew in and out in a kinetic flurry that made the slow moments even more potent. The most captivating sequence was a simmering, simultaneous pas de deux that climaxed into one pair smoothly crawling around the stage, joined at the forehead. In short, the piece was so cerebral and dynamic that it just worked. 

Song of the Anchorite was the evening’s explorative solo, choreographed by Jamar Roberts. Bloomed from Alvin Ailey’s own Hermit Songs piece, Roberts reimagined a journey full of purpose and enlightenment. Soloist Isaiah Day twisted and reached like the branches of a tree—a motif reaffirmed by the backdrop and the flowy, earth-toned robes he donned. His movements flowed so innately they almost seemed improvised, as if his body’s natural inclination was to explore and transform itself.

Revelations needs no introduction, but it deserves its praise. From the reverent, somber solo of “I Wanna Be Ready” to the hectic, speedy trio of “Sinner Man,” the piece cultivates such emotion and energy that even the most agnostic can appreciate. A resounding applause rang out when the congregation came out in full for the final jubilation, “Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham,” where longtime fans and first-time viewers expressed their praise. Revelations really gains its notoriety from the absolute effectiveness it has for engaging the audience in every kind of spirituality, secular and non, that is innate in community. 

The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater is touring the United States from February through June. Each piece from this February 7th showcase and more will be highlighted, and each is equally deserving of attendance. 

Runtime: 2 hours

Photo: Courtesy of the production