With diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) under fire while STEM is taking center stage, the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater is a reminder for why arts and culture are the true stars of today’s show.
Be it executive orders in workspaces or artificial intelligence initiatives in educational facilities, society is witnessing a rapid shift in spaces that are designed to disconnect us from our humanity. Instead of protesting with signs or combatting change with internet hashtags, the black-founded company does what has always done in times of adversity—dance.
Founded by Texas-born visionary, Alvin Ailey, the dance theater is recognized as the first multicultural modern dance company started by an African American. Ailey, who started working in cotton fields during the Jim Crow South and having experienced the Great Depression firsthand, would blossom to become one of the most prolific dancers of the 20th century.
Founded on March 30, 1958, at the height of the Civil Rights Movement, the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater was created as a “library of dance” designed to preserve dance culture whilst featuring a broad selection of choreographies and movement styles. The theater was recognized as a Vital Ambassador of American Culture to the world by the United States Congress in 2008, performing in over 70 countries spread across six continents.
One may wonder what would come from investing in epicenters of creativity with decades of history, that celebrate unity instead of 11-minute-long celebrity rocket rides, or new world augmenting technologies that separate people from one another.
Some of Ailey’s most well-known pieces like ‘Revelations’, ‘Cry’, or ‘Blues Suite’ explore true narratives of our world by infusing American history with modern dance. The story-telling elements in the performances depict the hardships of slavery, and joys of emancipation, emote the birthing of African American-created music like Blues, and Gospel, and share them on a global stage, with ‘Revelations’ particularly being seen by over 23 million people around the world.
Today, The Ailey Studios in New York continues to serve as a valuable source of education. Offering classes ranging in styles from ballet to hip hop to West African, dance cultures from around the world are found in the largest building dedicated to dance in the Big Apple.
The Joan Weill Center for Dance is open to all creeds, ages, and dance experiences. Named after one of Ailey’s predecessors, the Joan Weill Center is equipped with dance studios, a theatre, physical therapy facilities and even costume shops.
Societal emphasis on hard sciences above arts and liberal studies has resulted in threats to the integrity of spaces like the National Museum of African American History and Culture, instead of uplifting spaces that preserve and share this history like the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater.
It is important to note that advancements made in STEM or conversations that question the significance of diversity are not innately wrong and should be encouraged to be had responsibly and safely. It is when these advancements and conversations come to threaten the safety or relevance of these culturally, artistically and historically rich spaces, that it becomes harmful.
The Alvin Ailey story shows how watering the seed of one hopeful artist could create a garden’s worth of inspired artists to not only live on that legacy but forge their own stories out of the same soil. Celebrating 67 years, the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater and School are still in high bloom today. Their annual touring season is in full swing, sharing their stories in Newark, New Jersey May 9-11 at the Newark Performing Arts Center.
More information about the Alvin Ailey Theater Company can be found on their website.
Anthony Azuike is a writer for The Setonian’s Opinion section. He can be reached at anthony.azuike@student.shu.edu.
