Arts Council brings Ailey dance spirit to Norwich
NORWICH – Ailey II, the company universally renowned for merging the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s emerging choreographers, will perform at 7 p.m. on Jan. 31 in Norwich at the Martin W. Kappel Theater at the Chenango County Council of the Arts. Considered among the most talented of their generation, these young dancers always captivate audiences with their technique, grace and beauty. Due to growing popularity, this year’s tour to over 45 cities will take the company throughout the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Virgin Islands.
“The future of American dance is safe in the hands of today’s young dancers,” said The New York Times after Ailey II’s participation in the 1.2.3 Festival at New York’s Joyce Theater this past May.
Under the artistic direction of Sylvia Waters’s since 1974, Ailey II’s repertory includes a diverse array of ballets by today’s up-and-coming choreographers, dance veterans and Alvin Ailey’s timeless classics, including his masterpiece Revelations. This season will see the addition of world premieres by Jessica Lang, Abdel Salaam and Darrell Grand Moultrie, who previously treated Ailey II audiences to his jazzy Aspects of a Vibe in 2001. The company also welcomes seven new dancers this season, all of whom have trained extensively at the prestigious Ailey School in New York.
Ailey II embodies Mr. Ailey’s pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people using the beauty and humanity of the African-American heritage and other cultures to unite people of all races, ages, and backgrounds. In addition to performances, company members will lead master classes and lecture demonstrations at public schools, high schools, colleges and cultural centers while on tour.
Tour highlights to be performed in Norwich include:
Axis
Visionary choreographer Abdel Salaam, known for melding African and American Indian dance forms with mainstream culture, creates works that are technically and mentally complex. His new ballet for Ailey II will challenge the sharp technique and intriguing minds of the Ailey II dancers. The New York Times called Salaam a “bit of an ecologist and anthropologist,” saying he has an “unmistakable and sure voice of his own.”
Mourner’s Bench
Choreographed by the renowned Talley Beatty, this emotional solo portrays spiritual struggle through muscular interplay between a male dancer and a bench. The work was inspired by Howard Fast’s novel Southern Landscape, and refers to the tragic influence of the Ku Klux Klan on a mixed-race community in the rural South after the Civil War. The soloist asserts himself within and against the themes of oppression and transcendence in the highly stylized, gestural vocabulary of the piece. The dancer “sitting on the mourner’s bench,” reflects upon the end of his community and the horror of its slaughter. Mourner’s Bench is set to the traditional spiritual There Is A Balm in Gilead. Mourner’s Bench is a “modern-dance classic.” (The New York Times).
Quintet
Alvin Ailey’s Quintet originally premiered in New York in 1968. With music by Laura Nyro and costumes by Matthew Cameron, Quintet explores the private being behind a highly public face. “This very effective satire, elicit[ed] numerous ripples of laughter and spontaneous applause from the audience.” (The Arizona Daily Sun).
Ailey II is an exceptional company that merges the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers. Ailey II began in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, when Alvin Ailey initiated a workshop composed of the most promising scholarship students from The Ailey School. The original members of the Company were handpicked by Mr. Ailey from among that group. Ailey II embodies Mr. Ailey’s pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training and community programs for all people. Today, it has become one of the most popular dance companies in the United States.
Under the artistic direction of Sylvia Waters, Ailey II invigorates the American dance scene by offering unique opportunities for artists. Ailey II company members refine their technique while gaining invaluable performing and teaching experience during their tenure with the Company. Throughout its history, many Ailey II company members have gone on to pursue successful careers as dancers, teachers and choreographers with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, other professional dance companies, on Broadway and in schools.
In recent years, Ailey II’s distinctive repertory has included works by dance masters Alvin Ailey, Talley Beatty, Ulysses Dove, Lar Lubovitch, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Judith Jamison and such innovative choreographers as Robert Battle, Donald Byrd, Shapiro & Smith, Avila/Weeks and Kevin Wynn. The Company’s 2006-2007 North American tour consists of performances in over 45 cities.
Ailey II continues to win unmatched critical praise for its residencies at major colleges and universities as well as its visits to elementary, middle and high schools across the U.S. The Company has received numerous honors, awards and proclamations in recognition of its community outreach programs. Showcasing the talent of the country’s best young dancers, the critically acclaimed Ailey II brings exciting dance and innovative outreach programs to diverse communities throughout the country.
“Ailey II can be counted on to deliver high-energy dancing made even more electric by the push of youthful ambition.” The New York Times.
This performance by Ailey II is the third presentation in the Chenango County Council of the Arts’ 2006/07 season. Upcoming performances include the United States Air Force Band on March 5, Ethel on March 24 and Patty Larkin on April 29.
Local sponsorship of Ailey II has been provided by NBT Bank. Tickets range in price from $14 to $21 with discounts for senior citizens, students, and members of the Arts Council. For reservations call 336-ARTS (2787) or visit www.chenangoarts.org.
“The future of American dance is safe in the hands of today’s young dancers,” said The New York Times after Ailey II’s participation in the 1.2.3 Festival at New York’s Joyce Theater this past May.
Under the artistic direction of Sylvia Waters’s since 1974, Ailey II’s repertory includes a diverse array of ballets by today’s up-and-coming choreographers, dance veterans and Alvin Ailey’s timeless classics, including his masterpiece Revelations. This season will see the addition of world premieres by Jessica Lang, Abdel Salaam and Darrell Grand Moultrie, who previously treated Ailey II audiences to his jazzy Aspects of a Vibe in 2001. The company also welcomes seven new dancers this season, all of whom have trained extensively at the prestigious Ailey School in New York.
Ailey II embodies Mr. Ailey’s pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training, and community programs for all people using the beauty and humanity of the African-American heritage and other cultures to unite people of all races, ages, and backgrounds. In addition to performances, company members will lead master classes and lecture demonstrations at public schools, high schools, colleges and cultural centers while on tour.
Tour highlights to be performed in Norwich include:
Axis
Visionary choreographer Abdel Salaam, known for melding African and American Indian dance forms with mainstream culture, creates works that are technically and mentally complex. His new ballet for Ailey II will challenge the sharp technique and intriguing minds of the Ailey II dancers. The New York Times called Salaam a “bit of an ecologist and anthropologist,” saying he has an “unmistakable and sure voice of his own.”
Mourner’s Bench
Choreographed by the renowned Talley Beatty, this emotional solo portrays spiritual struggle through muscular interplay between a male dancer and a bench. The work was inspired by Howard Fast’s novel Southern Landscape, and refers to the tragic influence of the Ku Klux Klan on a mixed-race community in the rural South after the Civil War. The soloist asserts himself within and against the themes of oppression and transcendence in the highly stylized, gestural vocabulary of the piece. The dancer “sitting on the mourner’s bench,” reflects upon the end of his community and the horror of its slaughter. Mourner’s Bench is set to the traditional spiritual There Is A Balm in Gilead. Mourner’s Bench is a “modern-dance classic.” (The New York Times).
Quintet
Alvin Ailey’s Quintet originally premiered in New York in 1968. With music by Laura Nyro and costumes by Matthew Cameron, Quintet explores the private being behind a highly public face. “This very effective satire, elicit[ed] numerous ripples of laughter and spontaneous applause from the audience.” (The Arizona Daily Sun).
Ailey II is an exceptional company that merges the spirit and energy of the country’s best young dance talent with the passion and creative vision of today’s most outstanding emerging choreographers. Ailey II began in 1974 as the Alvin Ailey Repertory Ensemble, when Alvin Ailey initiated a workshop composed of the most promising scholarship students from The Ailey School. The original members of the Company were handpicked by Mr. Ailey from among that group. Ailey II embodies Mr. Ailey’s pioneering mission to establish an extended cultural community that provides dance performances, training and community programs for all people. Today, it has become one of the most popular dance companies in the United States.
Under the artistic direction of Sylvia Waters, Ailey II invigorates the American dance scene by offering unique opportunities for artists. Ailey II company members refine their technique while gaining invaluable performing and teaching experience during their tenure with the Company. Throughout its history, many Ailey II company members have gone on to pursue successful careers as dancers, teachers and choreographers with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, other professional dance companies, on Broadway and in schools.
In recent years, Ailey II’s distinctive repertory has included works by dance masters Alvin Ailey, Talley Beatty, Ulysses Dove, Lar Lubovitch, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Artistic Director Judith Jamison and such innovative choreographers as Robert Battle, Donald Byrd, Shapiro & Smith, Avila/Weeks and Kevin Wynn. The Company’s 2006-2007 North American tour consists of performances in over 45 cities.
Ailey II continues to win unmatched critical praise for its residencies at major colleges and universities as well as its visits to elementary, middle and high schools across the U.S. The Company has received numerous honors, awards and proclamations in recognition of its community outreach programs. Showcasing the talent of the country’s best young dancers, the critically acclaimed Ailey II brings exciting dance and innovative outreach programs to diverse communities throughout the country.
“Ailey II can be counted on to deliver high-energy dancing made even more electric by the push of youthful ambition.” The New York Times.
This performance by Ailey II is the third presentation in the Chenango County Council of the Arts’ 2006/07 season. Upcoming performances include the United States Air Force Band on March 5, Ethel on March 24 and Patty Larkin on April 29.
Local sponsorship of Ailey II has been provided by NBT Bank. Tickets range in price from $14 to $21 with discounts for senior citizens, students, and members of the Arts Council. For reservations call 336-ARTS (2787) or visit www.chenangoarts.org.
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