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Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater returns to the Auditorium March 28 – April 1. The Thursday, March 29 performance is dedicated to dancer Renee Robinson, celebrating her 25th year with the company. Ms. Robinson was the last dancer brought into the company by Mr. Ailey. She’s currently on tour, but we were able to catch up with her by phone. Here are excerpts from the conversation:
Where are you on your tour right now? How long does the tour last? We are still at the beginning of the tour. We’ve done
Our tours are usually about 6-7 weeks, but this time we are out for seven weeks, we go home for a bit, and then start again in
What’s made you stay with AAADT as long as you have? It’s coupled with some of the things that first attracted me to the company. When I first saw the company perform I was intrigued and fascinated by the fact that dancers came from all over the world. I was drawn to the fact that it was a repertory company, with works by different choreographers. One of the draws was the fact that the company traveled. I’ve always known that I wanted to see other places, other countries, learn about other people and other cultures and I wanted to do that in more ways than being in school studying. I wanted to experience it. This company was doing extensive traveling. Those were the biggest draws.
Those elements are some of the same elements that have kept me here in the company. In addition I enjoy the fact that the company believes - and one of Mr. Ailey’s dreams was - that dance comes from the people and should be delivered back to them. We do an extensive amount of outreach. I enjoy doing master classes, work shops, children’s shows. I’m one of the dancers who speaks at the student performances. As adults we often say that we should expose children to lots of different things, but I think it’s important for all people. We should all be exposing ourselves to lots of experiences during our journey on earth, and that’s one of the things I think is brilliant about AAADT.
When I think about 25 years, of course I don’t think about it, it still hasn’t really sunk in. It doesn’t sink in until people ask me questions about it. First and foremost I’m so grateful to the company for saluting me in this way, and I feel very fortunate for that. They could have just done one night, but they are continuing it through the entire tour. I’m just taking it city by city and enjoying my work.
Have you noticed any differences in your approach to your work now, compared with when you started? I’ll give you two answers – one is that my approach in general has not changed. I’ve always been a serious dancer, studying hard and all of those things, and I’m still that same person. I take class every day even if I’m not performing – I think it’s important and how you take care of your body; class is where you take care of your instrument. Just as when I was a younger dancer, I’m still very much into taking my classes. I take different types of classes: salsa, ballroom, hip hop, yoga, floor bar, Pilates, gyrotonics.
The one thing that is different is that I am not as nervous about everything. When you’re a new dancer you want to get everything perfect. For me that lasted 6 years. Over time I’ve learned to enjoy some things that I did not give myself room to enjoy when I was younger.
What’s your favorite memory of Alvin Ailey? I was first drawn to him because he often choreographed ballets for women – a lot of his ballets have strong female focal points. I remember as a new dancer – I don’t know if the women then who were senior members of the company felt this way – he always seemed to want to compliment the females on a daily basis. I remember sitting in the studio and he’d notice little things – maybe they’d changed their hair style or they had on a leotard where the color brought out their complexion, or maybe something different with the way they were holding their bodies. He always seemed to notice very little things about his senior dancers. I sometimes wondered if they’d try to do different things to get his attention. It seemed it would make them smile in a different way. I thought that was the most fun and special and cool thing I had ever seen.
Tell us about your Thursday night performances – are those pieces that have special meaning to you? One is Grace, choreographed by Ronald K. Brown. It’s been in the repertory for more than five years, some years we’ve presented it more than others. It’s a big company piece with African music, house music, club music. The movement is African influenced, and when he choreographed it, it was challenging for me because he hears music in a special way. It’s part of his brilliance - not only his movement, but how he puts it to music and it was challenging for me because it was the first time I had the opportunity to move that way. I really enjoyed it, but it took a while to learn it. It was special for me that he agreed to let it in the repertory again. And there’s a solo choreographed by Carmen de Lavallade – Sweet Bitter Love. It starts out as a duet but I’m doing a solo excerpt. Carmen de Lavallade is the woman who took Alvin Ailey to his first dance class.
And of course we’ll be doing Revelations – everyone’s favorite. The dancers and audience all love Revelations.
There are other amazing pieces we’ll be doing in
We’re doing a children’s show, which I love. And then a program with Love Stories, choreographed by Ms. Judith Jamison, and a special salute to Mr. Ailey; how much we love what we do and how much we love the legacy he left us and all of humanity. Pas De Duke, by Mr. Ailey, and Portrait of Billie, and Ms. Jamison’s Reminiscin’, Existence without Form, choreographed by Uri Sands, a former Ailey dancer.
Like always when we come to |
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