3 minute read
Voiceover: Ailey
from S.O.U.L. Fest 2021 Brochure
by tnbfc
Ailey
Directed by Jamila Wignot, Ailey documents the life of the gifted dancer and choreographer, Alvin Ailey. Through archival footage, interviews with friends and colleagues, and the narrating voice of Ailey himself, we journey through decades of his life and work.
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The film begins in the present day, showing the rehearsal process, led by choreographer Rennie Harris, for a 2018 homage to the late founder. This reminds us that the work of Ailey lives on in the legacy he created through his unique style of dance. Each step and movement that the dancers make carries what Harris terms the “physical history” of dance. Wignot describes Ailey’s dances as “celebrations of African American beauty and history [which] did more than move bodies; they opened minds.” One particularly prominent work was ‘Revelations’, created in 1960 when Ailey was 29. ‘Revelations’ presents the historical experience of African Americans, from slavery, baptism, to church celebrations, utilising the spiritual ‘Wade in the Water’. This was the signature work for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, which was founded in 1958, four years after its namesake moved to New York City. Ailey’s origins before the formation of his dance theatre lie at the core of his work. Born in rural Texas, in 1931, during the Great Depression, he states that he remembers his mother washing the floor of the homes of wealthy white families, and drifting with her “looking for someplace to be”. At twelve, he and his mother moved to Los Angeles, where Ailey was able to
discover theatre and dance. After watching his first ballet, which he described as being a “whole new world”, he was immediately drawn to dance.
Harris describes Ailey’s connection to his African American spirituality as being part of generational “blood memories” that act as the anchor for his work. The memories of his childhood in Texas, of the church, of the blues – each form an element in his creations.
Ailey created a company that was described as one of “the most important contemporary dance companies in the world.” He was incredibly successful, and his work was routinely met with critical acclaim. However, this did not prevent the struggles of the man who was notably very private. His mental health deteriorated to the point where
Alvin Ailey performing
he was taken by ambulance to a mental institution, following the unexpected death of his close friend Joyce Trister in 1979. He struggled with self-loathing, questioning whether people loved him, or loved what he represented. His physical health also started to worsen. We know now that it was caused by AIDS, however, due to the stigma and perception as a ‘guilty disease’, it was never confirmed by Ailey to the public. Ailey’s death caused us to lose one of the most brilliant visionaries in twentieth century dance, but this documentary allows us to bring his work, life, and memory to the forefront. Mojola Akinyemi n
