The Ailey story: new books on the phenomenon
Dance Magazine, Dec, 2004 by Tamara Johnson
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Ailey Spirit: The Journey of an American Dance Company Text by Robert
Tracy; foreword by Wynton Marsalis. New York: Stewart, Tabori &
Chang. 2004. 168 pages. $35.
This book celebrates the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, presented
here as the embodiment of the ideals of American democracy. It tells
the story of Alvin Ailey from his beginnings in Texas, through the
creation of his company and his choreography, to Judith Jamison's
artistic directorship today. The biographical aspect of the book is
straightforward and informative. The writing inspires, however, in the
quotes from Ailey and his dancers. They convey messages nearly as
poignantly as the many photographs, which are the real jewels in this
book. These, by seasoned dance photographers like Jack Vartoogian, Nan
Melville, and Johan Elbers, portray the spectrum of the company's
repertoire of motions and emotions. They do gorgeous justice to a body
of dancers whose bodies have served as vessels for an aesthetic full of
power and grace.
Dancing Revelations: Alvin Ailey's Embodiment of African American
Culture By Thomas F. DeFrantz. New York: Oxford University Press. 2004.
320 pages. $35.
In
Dancing Revelations scholar Thomas F. DeFrantz puts the phenomenon of
the Ailey company in the context of the 20th century's battles for
civil, women's, and gay rights. He draws on interviews, videos, and
oral histories of Ailey dancers to follow the evolution of Ailey's
company. The book explores Ailey's vision in relation to what was at
first called "Negro heritage" and what later became questions like, "Do
dancing black bodies always dance black?" It pays particular attention
to Ailey's masterpiece Revelations (which was voted Favorite Modern
Work by DM readers, see "Readers' Choice," July, page 38), in its
evolving versions, as a representation of African American culture. The
book has many black-and-white photographs as well as a chronology, of
Ailey's choreography. The structure is modeled after blues music, with
breaks punctuating the background rhythms of analysis. Short essays
appear in the middle of each chapter, parallel to their chapters'
themes, to illustrate their relevance in new lights. These are meant to
enliven the pace of what DeFrantz admits is, at times, an academic
"cataloguing of Ailey's life work." They succeed at their mission, and
Dancing Revelations is an enjoyable read, not only for those concerned
with Ailey's dances as they relate to larger struggles within American
society, but for anyone who loves the art and artist.
