NEW YORK (RNS) — Sixty-four years after the premiere of its signature work “Revelations,” Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has introduced a piece choreographed by interim artistic director Matthew Rushing that reimagines music written for the original version of “Revelations” but omitted.
Matthew Rushing, Ailey’s interim artistic director, conceived “Sacred Songs” after reading Jennifer Dunning’s 1998 biography of Ailey and realizing that the original 1960 version of “Revelations” had nine songs that were omitted in the course of its debut tour. “That’s when I got the idea of what a great tribute, if I were to choreograph to these songs.”
Ailey, who grew up in rural Texas, told Dunning in her book that much of his work came out of what he called “blood memories,” recollections of spirituals, gospel songs and more from his upbringing in the 1930s. For “Revelations,” Ailey drew on his childhood experiences of the Black church in the American South as well as inspiration from the Caribbean, Brazil and West Africa.
André Thomas, a visiting professor of choral conducting and conductor of the Yale Camerata at Yale University’s Institute of Sacred Music, said spirituals were “all created by the slaves, the reaction to slaves hearing sermons and sound and hymnody, and they put it all together and created, I think, an incredible form.”
“Revelations” had a unique part to play in Rushing’s dance career. “I saw “Revelations” when I had recently been baptized, and when I saw the section ‘Wade in the Water,’ I literally saw my own life experiences danced on stage, and it changed my life to the point where I made that night, I made a decision that I wanted to be a dancer in the Ailey company.”
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater members perform “Sacred Songs” by choreographer Matthew Rushing. (Photo © Paul Kolnik)
“Sacred Songs” begins soulfully and slowly under pink lights as the spiritual “Troubles of this World” plays.
Soon I will be done
Troubles of the world
I’m going home to live with God.
The song has particular significance to Rushing, who grew up in the church. “During the process of choreographing the ballet, I lost my mother, and so whenever I heard that song, I thought about my mother even before I started choreographing it, and I would say to myself that somehow, someday I would dance to that song and in tribute to my mother.”
Lament, faith and hope — these three themes returned to Rushing as he listened to the spirituals and tried to find the right movement to complement the music.
Rushing wanted to modernize the spirituals to help them resonate with a younger audience. “We’ve taken some of the songs and kind of put them in genres of R&B, hip-hop. We’ve even used jazz versions of some of the songs.”
The goal was to reimagine these songs for a contemporary audience. Dancer Jacqueline Harris shared her excitement on performing “Sacred Songs.” “I think my favorite part about the piece, in general, is the community aspect of it. Each section is so different, but in each section, we find moments to interact with each other, to really take a moment to be with each other, be present with each other on stage.”
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater members perform “Sacred Songs” by choreographer Matthew Rushing. (Photo © Paul Kolnik)
The costumes are neutral tones, creams, and whites, Harris said. “You can really see the movement, you can really see us as human beings.”
Harris, who grew up in a Baptist church in North Carolina, said Southern spirituals have always been a part of her life. “I think ‘Precious Lord’ is definitely one that I have strong memories of. It’s one that we sang regularly growing up in the church. I feel like that’s always represented to me, the sense of surrender and the sense of really giving all of your burdens to God and just allowing trust to be the guiding factor of our choices in our lives.” She hopes audiences will take away the idea of how more things bind us together than separate us.
Prior to the season beginning, artistic director Judith Jamison passed away. The City Center season and domestic tour is dedicated to her memory, and a performance of Ailey’s piece “Cry” was performed in her honor at the opening night gala of the Ailey Dance Theater.
The Ailey American Dance Theater will have a five-week engagement at New York City Center, where they will perform “Sacred Songs,” followed by a U.S. tour from late January until the end of May.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater members perform “Sacred Songs” by choreographer Matthew Rushing. (Photo © Paul Kolnik)
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