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Concert Review Of Virtual Dance Concert By Alvin Ailey

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Virtual Dance Concert/Performance Attendance Paper
Hanna Garber
DANC 206-094

Revelations choreographer Alvin Ailey draws inspiration from his childhood growing up in rural Texas as a member of the Baptist Church. The piece uses African-American spirituals, song sermons, gospel songs, and holy blues to elevate a story showing the struggles faced by African-Americans in the south in the 1930s. Approximately 23 million people have experienced Revelations since its birth in 1960. While experiencing this piece for the first time, I kept in mind the three elements of criticism; description, analysis, and evaluation. This performance included mainly African-American ballet dancers on a stage for a live audience in 2016. The dancers had incredible …show more content…

A destinguishable image near the middle of the performance was a water scene where the dancers held up blue cloths, giving the viewers an impression of the other dancers splashing in a river. This scene portrayed Jesus’ ability to wash away your sins as you’re reborn as a believer in Him. Similarly, despite all that they endured, trusting Jesus through it all will help them reach eternal life. I found this piece inspiring and moving. It showed a glimpse into the choreographer’s life and how unfair life was for African-Americans, especially in the south in the 1930s. Also, it depicts the culture’s strong religious beliefs and how much respect they have for women. I felt Ailey successfully communicated these beliefs as they are highlighted in the movements, music, and interactions throughout the …show more content…

Throughout the performance, dancers use their hands and arms to communicate. Especially at the beginning, the dancers motion toward heaven numerous times. I interpreted this movement as their longing to leave the sorrows they’ve endured on Earth to reap eternal life in heaven. In addition, in the water scene, the dancers were extremely expressive, contorting their bodies to match the way waves in water makes your body sway. Each scene brought a different energy than the last which kept the viewer on the edge of their seat. For instance, scene 1 incorporated smooth, relaxed, and loose movements while scene 2 encompassed heavy, swaying, and sharp movements. Scene 3 embodied weightless, smooth, and sustained movements, but scene 4 contained swinging, relaxed, and light movements with a high tempo. Overall, this performance opened my eyes to some of the ideas, values, and beliefs of African-Americans in the 1900s and inspired me in a variety of different

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