Review: ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER PROGRAM C at the Kennedy Center

The Ailey company’s third program at the Kennedy Center opened on Friday, though some of the works were performed during Wednesday’s gala performance. Program C includes three recent company premieres - Sacred Songs by Interim Artistic Director Matthew Rushing, Me, Myself and You by former company member Elizabeth Roxas-Dobrish, and Many Angels by Lar Lubovitch - plus Mr. Ailey’s Revelations. 

Most notable for me was Sacred Songs for its deep connection to the company’s roots and most famous piece. For this Rushing drew on songs that were originally part of Revelations before the work was trimmed to its current roughly 30 minute length. While a few parts reference Revelations subtly, the vocabulary is all its own, with vivid Christian imagery such as praying hands and partners holding one another like a pietà. Rushing returns again and again to a gesture of two arms rapidly scooping or fluttering; perhaps the dancers are trying to hold onto something ephemeral? The dancers move from anguish to exultation to defiance in this ecstatic work, beseeching us to follow their gaze or their pointed hand and truly see what they see and feel. 

Continuing on the sacred theme was Lubovitch’s Many Angels, set to a gorgeous section from Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. The angels move slowly and are suspended in air in beautiful lifts and turns. It’s very pretty but does not evoke much. 

Ailey’s commitment to commissioning new works is brave and, frankly, expensive. You have to invest in rehearsal time, acquiring the rights to music, creating costumes, lighting and sometimes even set designs, without knowing whether you have the next hit on your hands or something else. Very few dance companies, especially those without a single choreographer at the helm, regularly produce new works at this volume, and many choreographers have benefited from the opportunity to work with these dancers and resources. 

Unfortunately, the crop of new works shown this week in DC didn’t include any instant hits, though maybe one or two will mature and evolve into something greater. It’s a number game and one that seems likely to pay off given the quality of the ingredients involved. 

Performances run through Sunday, February 9. Check specific performances for repertory and casting details. 

Runtime: 2 hours, 10 minutes with two intermissions

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