My mother was a huge modern dance fan who was unrepentant in
dragging me –willingly—all over the city to see every local and national dance
company she loved—Joseph Holmes, Darlene Blackburn, Muntu, Martha Graham,
Joffrey, among others, and, of course, Alvin Ailey. Sometimes my dad or my
sister would join us. But the deep love for the dance—bordering obsession,
probably—was something very special that my Mother and I shared. So, I’m lucky.
My love for Ailey was developed early.
I’ve carried this love for Ailey and passed it on to many
others everywhere I’ve lived in the country—and the world. I lived in Florida for a decade, spread between Tampa Bay
and Miami , and
I never, ever missed Ailey’s stops there, and always made sure I took
others who had not yet experienced the beauty and the genius. Often, I’d attend
every performance—or I’d attend as many performances as my budget would
accommodate.
I haven’t missed “Ailey Week” at the Auditorium Theatre...well, ever. Certainly not in the last 13 years. I’ll never forget
Ailey Week in 2000 because my grandmother—my mother’s mother—died the day
before opening night. Mom, Dad and I already had tickets so we went. By the
time “Fix Me, Jesus” was being performed in “Revelations,” my mother and I had
a moment where we looked at each other, tears streaming down both of our faces,
and we smiled. Without speaking a word, we both felt the spirit of my
grandmother with us, and despite our sorrow we felt comfort in her transition,
as she had now become one of the ancestors Alvin Ailey was thinking of when he
created this great work.
It is a poignant, indelibly etched memory, because it was
the last Ailey performance I would share with my mother—she died unexpectedly a
month later.
When Ailey week rolled around in 2001, I was ambivalent. I
didn’t know if I was emotionally ready to experience Ailey without the woman
who gave me life—the very person who gave life to my lifelong love for the dance
and for Ailey itself. But I soldiered through. And at the end of
Revelations, with tears streaming down my face, I blew kisses to the air,
thinking of my mother, my grandmother, Mr. Ailey – all ancestors now, and part
of the continuum and narrative of Black life that he envisioned...
Ailey Week, for me, is never just about me. It’s about
celebrating the ancestors. It’s about celebrating my mother. I take great
comfort and joy in what has become a ritual for me. That the 2013 series has
been expanded to two weeks is phenomenal and fitting—Chicago loves Ailey and has always
supported the Auditorium Theatre. It is a perfect marriage, and the commitment
and enthusiasm of Auditorium Theatre Executive Director Brett Batterson to
Ailey Week is contagious. One cannot help but to heed his call to spread the
word.
I’m not a formal “Ailey Ambassador” but I feel like one
because I never miss an opportunity through good, old word-of-mouth or, now,
using social media, to spread the word. My only quibble with this year’s series
is that I wish they were performing MORE Ailey-choreographed pieces. I’m
incredibly disappointed that “Cry” is not in the lineup this year, and that the
only Ailey-choreographed piece outside of “Revelations” is “Pas de Duke.” I
certainly appreciate all the efforts to stay current while honoring the
classics, but veteran Ailey fans and new ones alike would benefit from seeing
that Alvin Ailey’s choreographic genius extends well beyond “Revelations.”
Nonetheless, I look forward to going back several more times
before Ailey leaves next Sunday. Mom wouldn’t want it any other way.
Click HERE for tickets and information on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2013 run at the Auditorium Theatre.
Click HERE for tickets and information on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's 2013 run at the Auditorium Theatre.
