Photograph by Andrew Eccles. L-R: Antonio Douthit-Boyd, Rachael McLaren, Alicia Graf Mack, Jacqueline Green, and Jamar Roberts
If there’s a golden top 10 list of arts experience every human should have during a lifetime, seeing Alvin Ailey’s Revelations is surely on it. Ailey himself described the work as a kinetic translation of his “blood memories,” of growing up African-American in the first half of the 20th century in rural Texas. It’s electric with the power of the black church and the holy blues, and it still moves audiences to tears (and sometimes inspires them to dance in the aisles) nearly 60 years after its debut. Though this is one of the country’s best-loved and best-known companies, it has always kept its repertoire wide and deep, performing more than 235 works by 90-plus choreographers. One of those choreographers, Robert Battle, took over the company in 2011, after being handpicked by retiring artistic director Judith Jamison to be her successor.
As one New York Observer critic wrote in January, Battle has completely revivified the company, adding cutting-edge pieces to its repertory, such as Bill T. Jones’ D-Man in the Water and Wayne McGregor’s Chroma. While that’s one reason to catch the troupe while it’s here, there’s also a completely St. Louis–specific one: Two former locals swell Ailey’s ranks. One is Alicia Graf Mack, who was named one of “America’s Young Innovators” by Smithsonian in 2007 and taught at COCA before rejoining the company in 2011; the other is the otherworldly Antonio Douthit-Boyd, who graced last season’s poster and is in his 10th glorious year as one of Ailey’s best-known solo dancers.
Dance St. Louis presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater April 25 & 26 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $35–$70. Fox Theater, 527 N. Grand, 314-534-6622, dancestlouis.org.
