Revelations

One of life's greatest joys: Alvin Ailey's Revelations.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was founded in the 50s as a dance company that would specifically promote African American expression in dance. My first exposure to Alvin Ailey was when my dad introduced that timeless classic film, Fame. (Irene Cara and the originial, please.) I am admittedly a sucker for any given experience to add song and dance, with the exception of the most recent episode of Grey's Anatomy. My favorite thing about Fame, though, is not actually the abundance of musical numbers, but the struggles of young people to find identity in a milieu of inconsistency and uncertainty. (Perhaps a foreshadowing to my current life placement...) One of the most dynamic characters in the movie is Leroy, an eccentric dancer whose audition to the arts school was originally a mistake. Throughout the movie, he is defiant and a little bit crazy, but talented nonetheless. After struggles with his home, family, and academics, at the end of the movie Leroy is offered a job in the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, an opportunity that makes him and any remotely compassionate audience tear up.

I got the opportunity to see Alvin Ailey in college, and I was particularly struck by the hour-long piece, Revelations. The Ailey programs rotate each night, but the second half is always Revelations, Ailey's signature choreographic work which has been a staple in the program since it debuted in the 60s. In it, Ailey tells the story of African-American faith and spirituality in three sections. Here's a link to my favorite, section 1, Pilgrim of Sorrow.

Revelations has been performed all over the world, and it is well-known for its aesthetic ability to connect spiritually across a number of cultures. And also it's just beautiful.