Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

On Friday, March 10th, I got the chance to see the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Auditorium Theatre in Chicago! I was also lucky enough to have my mom be able to come down and join me for the show! My mom is a dance teacher and taught me dance all while I was growing up, so it was a really cool experience to share together! The show itself was unlike anything I had ever seen. I was truly so amazed, and more than anything, inspired while watching the show. The show was two hours and fifteen minutes, including two intermissions. It was composed of four pieces, In A Sentimental Mood by Jamar Roberts, DUET by Paul Taylor, Are You in Your Feelings? by Kyle Abraham, and Revelations by Alvin Ailey. The first two pieces were each about 20 or 25 minutes, with the last two around 30 or 40 minutes. Revelations, the final piece, was choreographed by Alvin Ailey in 1960. It is his best known piece, as it is still performed to this day. But unless you were told it was choreographed over half a century ago, you would never have any idea. The dancing was absolutely phenomenal, it was so athletic and inventive, and within the 36 minute piece, the style and tone of choreography changed up a lot. The use of props and costumes added to the story very well also. The props, which included umbrellas, large African straw hats, and blue fabric which was used as a river, brought new layers to the choreography and felt like another dancer on the stage. I am really glad I get to say I’ve seen the world famous Revelations by Alvin Ailey. There really is a reason the piece is so famous, not only is the dancing incredible, but because of the story it is telling. The program writes, “Revelations fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul.” Personally though, my favorite piece of the night was Are You in Your Feelings? The program explained this piece as, “A celebration of Black culture, Black music, and the youthful spirit that preserves in all of us. Scored to a ‘mixtape’ of soul, hip-hop, and R&B.” The piece was so fluid and all of the partner work was beautiful. There were a few parts of straight hiphop along with a few moments of comedy. Songs included LOVE by Kendrick Lamar and I’ll Call U Back by Erykah Badu. Overall, I was so glad I got to see this show and it was a huge reminder to me that there are so many incredible dance opportunities out there that I can work toward!