Don't Miss Ailey at Lincoln Center

This week is the last chance to see favorite dancers Alicia Graf Mack, Antonio Douthit-Boyd and Kirven Douthit-Boyd of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Sigh. All three will relocate to St. Louis after this season. (I always loved Alicia’s “Why I Dance.”) We’re now in the second week of Ailey’s two-week season at the Koch Theater, so there’s still time to see these three dancers—their farewell performances are on June 21—and the rest of this terrific company in their expanded repertoire.

I saw a smashing program last night of four pieces that repeats on Thursday. First, the plunging-into-ice-water shock of Wayne McGregor’s knotty, exhilarating Chroma. Second, Ron Brown’s enduring Grace, a ceremonial invocation inflected with earthy, West African oppositions. Third: Robert Battle’s short, zesty, witty Takademe, performed with awesome precision and power by Jamar Roberts (read about the magnificent Roberts in our recent cover story.) And finally, Revelations. Ah Revelations. It was a special treat for me to be sitting with two young men who had never seen it live before (one of them being my son). Matthew Rushing’s spine is like a wave in the water in “Wade in the Water.” And I realized that I love every step in “Rocka My Soul.” The encore had us all jouncing and clapping in our seats.

Revelations
. Photo by Manny Hernandez.

(I talked about other recent works like Hofesh Shechter’s Uprising, Jacqulyn Buglisi’s Suspended Women and Matthew Rushing’s Odetta in this posting.)

Christopher Wheeldon’s ethereal After the Rain has its last viewing on Saturday. Exodus, Rennie Harris’ world premiere, which I haven’t seen yet, repeats this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

A special bonus for Ailey goers this week: In your program will be an invitation to take a class at Ailey Extension for free! To find out more, click here. For a full schedule of the season, click here. See the company now, before they go off to Paris and South Africa!