Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, September 2023

[alison]

AAADT start a nearly two-week run at Sadler's Wells this evening, followed, I believe, by touring, at least of the Ailey 2 company.

 

https://www.sadlerswells.com/alvin-ailey-american-dance-theater-mixed-bill/

 

If you have any thoughts, please post them here.

[art_enthusiast]

I'm going on Thursday!

Just a bit concerned as I got this email yesterday from Sadler's Wells:

 

Thank you for booking for an upcoming performance of Alvin Ailey at Sadler's Wells Theatre.

To allow for extra security arrangements at the theatre, including bag checks, you may find it helpful to allow extra time for your journey before the performance is due to begin.

No large rucksacks or suitcases will be permitted into the theatre.

We take the safety of audiences, performers, and colleagues very seriously and keep our security arrangements under constant review.

We hope you enjoy the show. 

Sadler’s Wells Ticket Office

 

I'm coming from work with my relatively normal sized rucksack with a laptop in, I assume I'll have to use the paid cloakroom for it then!

[SheilaC]

I caught the closing few seconds of an interview with Robert Battle of AAADT on last night’s In Tune on R3, about 45 minutes in. I’ve not had a chance to hear it on Sounds yet but the interviewer’s comments suggested that it was a very interesting discussion which I’ll listen to before I go to performances.

[LinMM]

I’ve used the Sadlers Wells cloakroom on a number of occasions and although it’s not free as at ROH it’s only 50p ( unless gone up very recently) and I would rather pay a small fee than have no cloakroom at all as now the position at the Colisseum. 
However reading the above email I wasn’t sure whether they meant rucksacks etc would not get past the Theatre main door or just not allowed into auditorium itself 🤔

[zxDaveM]

Tuesday had a more thorough bag check than previously at Sadlers - more like the ones they have at ROH. My rucksack is small/medium and didn't have much in it, and there was no suggestion I should put it in the cloakroom. Perhaps because Tuesday was far from a sell out they knew there'd be no issue with space - be more interesting this evening, which does appear to have sold well

[alison]

Eek, so it does.  I'd been aiming to do the double today, but hadn't actually booked, and it doesn't look as though there's anything left in my price range   This is what happens when you can't get an overview of all the performances in one go, I suppose - I'd been looking at other bills and seen "Fair Availability", and hadn't realised it was any different for this one   I did think it was odd to schedule so few performances of this one, though.

[MAB]

Does the theatre have air con?  I'm doing the double today.

[alison]

It certainly does.  Sometimes excessively, if you're in the Second Circle.

[Emeralds]

I got the same security email (am booked for AAADT too) which I was expecting after the protestors invaded the stage and interrupted R&J there. I thought it would be more strongly worded! This is a reassuring measure.

[alison]

Cafe as well as theatre.

 

The Twyla Tharp was late-substituted by the Kyle Abrahams piece this afternoon - no specific reason give, although I assume illness or injury and no cover available.  "Rocka My Soul" wasn't encored at the end of "Revelations", either - I suspect the two things may be connected  

[art_enthusiast]

I really loved this first piece - I’m guessing it was The River? Just brilliant.

 

The part where all the men were dancing together was superb.

[batmanballetshoes]

Pure joy! If you have the time grab a ticket and go! you'll come out dancing and singing!

 

[alison]

Pleased to say the encore was reinstated this evening - I think probably half the First Circle were on their feet clapping and singing along  

 

BTW, question for anyone whose memories go sufficiently far back: are there two versions of The River, one with pointe shoes for ballet companies and one without for the Ailey company?  I don't think I've ever seen anyone but Ailey do it, but I have some sort of visual memory of pointe shoes.  And has any ballet company apart from ABT danced it?  I know London Festival Ballet as they then were danced his Night Creature in 1985, but I think that wouldn't have been a pointe-shoe work anyway.

[zxDaveM]

Saw the AA Classics bill last night - a proper 'greatest hits' festival of joy. Absolutely superb! So glad I was there

I also really enjoyed the Abrahams' piece 'Are You in Your Feelings' on Tuesday night, though not so keen on the v short pieces in the middle 'act' (AD Robert Battle's 'Four Four' and 'Unfold')

Both nights ended with 'Revelations' of course - as magificent as a signature piece should be. I wonder if the dancers ever tire of dancing it - sure didn't look like it on either night!

[Jane S]

35 minutes ago, zxDaveM said:

Saw the AA Classics bill last night - a proper 'greatest hits' festival of joy. Absolutely superb! So glad I was there

I also really enjoyed the Abrahams' piece 'Are You in Your Feelings' on Tuesday night, though not so keen on the v short pieces in the middle 'act' (AD Robert Battle's 'Four Four' and 'Unfold')

Both nights ended with 'Revelations' of course - as magificent as a signature piece should be. I wonder if the dancers ever tire of dancing it - sure didn't look like it on either night!

 

There was a piece about how the dancers feel - see Links for 17 August.

[MAB]

The matinee cancellation was down to indisposition.  A word of caution, the cast lists in the programme were all wrong.  Actual casts were on a sheet of A4 pinned to the wall.  Surely in these circumstances cast sheets should be available.  I's unfair to both the audience and the dancers not to provide accurate information.

[Sim]

I have to wait until the 15th to see the Ailey Classics programme, so am very happy to read all these wonderful comments!

[Ondine]

There's an interesting piece on Alvin Ailey, background & history here  on the ISTD website

 

https://www.istd.org/discover/news/queering-history-the-revelations-of-alvin-ailey/

 

The company itself has a very good YouTube channel with many clips to give a flavour of its work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Emeralds]

15 hours ago, alison said:

Pleased to say the encore was reinstated this evening - I think probably half the First Circle were on their feet clapping and singing along  

 

BTW, question for anyone whose memories go sufficiently far back: are there two versions of The River, one with pointe shoes for ballet companies and one without for the Ailey company?  I don't think I've ever seen anyone but Ailey do it, but I have some sort of visual memory of pointe shoes.  And has any ballet company apart from ABT danced it?  I know London Festival Ballet as they then were danced his Night Creature in 1985, but I think that wouldn't have been a pointe-shoe work anyway.

I have seen ABT principal and film actress Leslie Browne dance the female solo in pointe shoes in the 1976 film The Turning Point, and former LFB (now called ENB) principal Katherine  Healy dance the same solo in pointe shoes in the International Ballet Competition second round in Jackson, in 1982 (both on tv), and someone else (name of dancer and occasion escapes me!) dance the same solo in pointe shoes also. Am still waiting to see the rest of the ballet. 😊

 

ABT (for whom the work was created) and Kansas City Ballet still have the ballet in their repertoire.....there might be other companies who danced it that I haven’t unearthed yet. 

 

Fun Friday Fact: The River is the only score that Duke Ellington composed for dance. He is said to have worked closely with Ailey on it  - oh to have been a fly on the wall in the studio or room when these two greats were discussing and collaborating on the ballet! Looking forward to the performance!

[alison]

The casts weren't *all* wrong - but it's a bit confusing for pieces which get repeated in different programmes, because the casts for those are on the pages for the relevant programme (so casting for Revelations can be found in 3 different places).  And of course the casting went to print presumably at least several days in advance.  Cast changes from the advertised cast have been posted on the wall by the lower-seat-number entrances, although not necessarily at Second Circle level, to judge from yesterday.

[Jane S]

ABT danced The River in London a couple of times - at Covent Garden in 1970 and in their 1977 Coliseum season - I saw the later one but there was so much else going on in that week that The River was rather overshadowed - others may remember more than I do!

[alison]

They did it in 1992 at the Coliseum, too, which is where I saw it.

[LACAD]

Just back from the 21st Century programme - though slightly different than advertised. The evening ended with Dancing Spirit by Ronald K. Brown rather than Are You in Your Feelings? by Kyle Abraham. I was disappointed to hear this and no explanation was given to the audience but I did enjoy the programme overall!

 

For Four is very American in its energy and optimism (the flag is even projected against the wall in what I assume is meant to be an ironic touch). Unfold was simply gorgeous, almost Bauschian in its style, with a wonderful Ashley Mayeux. 
 

In a Sentimental Mood is highly intriguing, dark, and a touch sinister. I’m seeing Khalia Campbell in Cry tomorrow and if her performance in this piece is anything to go by then I have much to look forward to.

 

Unfortunately Dancing Spirit was not my favourite work of the night. The choreography and dancing was assembled very intelligently in parts and was very exciting, but other passages dragged. The reception was deservedly warm for the marathon of dancing in the work, but for me, the night ended on a bit of a fizzle rather than a pop.

[alison]

50 minutes ago, LACAD said:

Just back from the 21st Century programme - though slightly different than advertised. The evening ended with Dancing Spirit by Ronald K. Brown rather than Are You in Your Feelings? by Kyle Abraham. I was disappointed to hear this and no explanation was given to the audience but I did enjoy the programme overall!

 

Oh dear.  What with this and the replacement of Roy's Joys yesterday with Are You In Your Feelings?, I'm starting to get a bit concerned.  I haven't actually got any more tickets booked yet, but am already thinking I might hold off for now and see if things stabilise.  Please could people report back if there are any more programme changes?

[Ondine]

Thsi is terrific, almost two hours of Alvin Ailey American Dance Company, with introductions and performances. Official video from Lincoln Centre from 2020.

 

http://lincolncenter.org/home

 

Chroma, Grace, Takademe, Revelations (2015)

 

Takademe is the piece Caspar Lench recently danced at the Royal Ballet School 2023 performances.

 

 

 

 

 

[alison]

It regularly appears on Sky arts, too.

[LACAD]

There were more issues with replacements this afternoon. The lake section from The River was cut entirely while many cast changes were made in the piece, as well as Pas de Duke, and Revelations.

 

However that didn’t dampen the performance at all. The River was danced very fluently by most of the performers in spite of its very balletic vocabulary, and as a work was full of brilliance.

 

Pas de Duke was lots of fun. As for Cry, well, the entire audience was rapt. I had chills throughout.

 

Revelations was as strong as ever, with particularly beautiful renditions of Fix me Jesus and I Wanna be Ready. The encore of Rocka my Soul in the Bosom of Abraham went ahead with the audience clapping and swaying along throughout.

[Janite]

I have seen two Alvin Ailey performances. The first last night (8th) was ‘21st Century Creations’. First was ‘For Four’ choreographed by Robert Battle expressing the energy let out after lockdown. It was gloriously and intricately danced to Jazz Music by Wynton Marsalis. 
In A Sentimental Mood by Jamar Roberts was very moving. Particularly the female solo to ‘The first time ever I saw your face’ and the male solo that was in his own circle of light.

Dancing Spirit was a replacement and we were a little sad at that until we saw it. One of my party was so enthusiastic about it they were still talking about the movement and choreography today. It was a joyful and powerful end to the show.

Today we did the opposite and saw ‘Ailey Classics’. Standouts for me were the Falls part of River with the four men dancing, but it had many exciting, funny and profound parts. 
Cry was very powerful, it is about AA ‘s mother. 

The hairs on my arms stood up in Wade in the River from Revelation.

it has been a brilliant weekend 

Edited September 9 by Janite

[alison]

2 hours ago, LACAD said:

There were more issues with replacements this afternoon. The lake section from The River was cut entirely while many cast changes were made in the piece, as well as Pas de Duke, and Revelations.

 

I appreciate the need to make changes due to circumstances beyond their control, but wouldn't it be courteous to the audience to make an announcement as to why? No need to list all the numerous cast changes, but just to give a brief indication why?

 

And if anyone has gone tonight, please could they let us know if Roy's Joys goes ahead?

[alison]

Worth mentioning that an offer has appeared for the Modern Masters bill on London Theatre Week - but it expires at midnight tonight.  (For those interested in opera, there are some for various ENO ones, too).

[alison]

The "Week" has been extended for another week.

 

Also, I've been meaning to say that the programme is actually decent value.  It's just perhaps a bit difficult to navigate around.

[serenade]

I went to see the Classics matinee on the 9th.  I really enjoyed it.  I've only seen Revelations on youtube before so it was so great to be able to see it in person.  I was expecting Revelations to be my favourite but actually I think I liked The River the best on the day- it was a lot of fun but with deeper moments mixed in, I'd really like to see it again especially as (just learnt from reading this thread) something was cut from it.  Probably my least favourite was Pas de Duke...it just didn't quite work for me although I loved the music.  Cry is very unique (in a good way!)  Revelations was wonderful- the music sounds amazing even though it's recorded.  It's been a while since I really enjoyed every part of a mixed bill so I'd definitely recommend it.  I'd liked to have seen another one of their bills but I couldn't fit it in unfortunately.

[alison]

I went to see the Modern Masters bill again last night.  Roy's Joys was still absent: this time it was replaced by In a Sentimental Mood by Jamar Roberts rather than Kyle Abraham's Are You in Your Feelings?  As the former is a two-person piece, I don't know whether that was a reflection on dancer availability, or whether the company were just ringing the changes