Alvin Ailey is awesome!

As I make my way through the New York City subways everyday, I’m bombarded with “Alvin!” posters. In addition to the new chipmunk movie coming out, the purple Alvin Ailey advertisements have also been catching my eye. Alvin seems to be the word this fall/winter. And it was time for me to finally experience seeing the famous modern dance company, Alvin Ailey. So I attended a Sunday matinee on December 9th, which definitely lived up to the hype.

Of the three-part performance, the opening number and the last act were definitely my favorites. The opening, “Night Creature,” was flirty, playful and sassy. As the dancers shimmied and pranced around the stage, I eagerly awaited the next formation change or ripple. I whispered to my friend, “It’s like Fosse meets ballet.”

The third act, “Revelations” was beautiful, soulful and inspiring. The costume, props and lighting were outstanding in this section. A definite style highlight was a number in which the dancers wore plain white costumes and one woman carried a white umbrella as a prop. The use of a lighting gimmick created a reflection of polka dots on their clothes, adding to the allure.

I left with the tunes in my head and a post-theater glow. Definitely an A plus for Ailey.

Peace & Love,

Lauren