Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

CITY CENTER DECEMBER 4-31, 1996 REVIEWED BY CAMILLE HARDY

With dances by Alvin Ailey making up only one-third of the repertory during the recent New York season, the strength of his presence was a remarkable accomplishment by Judith Jamison, the current artistic director. In spite of Ailey's death in 1989, "He's still here," she declared from the stage on opening night, Nas long as the contribution he made to us is still here." Programming eclectic offerings by guest choreographers was a practice initiated by Ailey and subsequently mined assiduously by Jamison. Yet the fervid artistic commitment, dance exuberance, and performance generosity presently on view are hallmarks of the man himself. Using those characteristics Jamison has revived up the ensemble to a level of technical polish so awesome that it hardly matters what is performed as long as we can just watch these dancers. And to watch them is to know that they are Ailey's artistic children, no matter who made the steps.

In front of the gala audience, Jamison revealed how she had convinced Oprah Winfrey to act as honorary chairman of the event. "I just reminded her," said Jamison, "girl, you know how much you love us!" Winfrey not only confirmed as much, but also confessed that Jamison had always been a personal heroine--albeit one with much better legs than her own. Those long, glamorous legs were on view later in the evening as Jamison joined the company and Dudley Williams in a surprise appearance during the final section of Ailey's Revelations. Always rousing, Ailey's signature composition was even more electric with a live orchestra and a gospel chorus, a luxury in today's spare economy. Conducted by Tania Leon, the musicians also performed Duke Ellington's tunes that accompany Ailey's Night Creature.

The centerpiece of the opening program was the season premiere of Sweet Release. Created by Jamison to a commissioned score by Wynton Marsalis for the Lincoln Center Festival 96 last summer, Sweet Release featured a charismatic couple--Karine Plantadit-Bageot and the impeccable Uri Sands--who explore the erotic yearnings and social mores and traditions that shape personal expression throughout five lively episodes. In the second section, "Church," Matthew Pushing was a colorful and convincing Snake in the Grass with far more appeal than his theological counterpart, a Minister played by Don Bellamy. Bellamy led the anniversary jubilee for an older couple, danced by Nasha Thomas and Leonard Meek with the tempting abandon of carnival celebrants. Costumes by Greg Barnes were sassy and splendid, giving the Ailey dancers plenty of evidence for being considered the best-dressed troupe in New York City. Jamison's kinetic inventions in Sweet Release are bold and juicy, but the piece is marred by its length: Too much of a good thing can be just as tedious as too little.

The excess of overexposure was a characteristic of the company premiere of Lar Lubovitch's Cavalcade, for many years a repertory staple of the choreographer's troupe. Set to the minimalist Octet by Steve Reich, Cavalcade has a dated appearance but is saved from drabness by the magical final sequence based on a Chinese ribbon dance.

Another company premiere, Hans van Manen's Polish Pieces, is a strong, vital work, notable for an emphasis on shape and set to haunting excerpts from the music of Henryk Gorecki. The season was also highlighted by new productions of George Faison's Suite Otis and Ailey's impassioned For "Bird"--With Love, a tribute to jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker. Bellamy in the title role and Dudley Williams as the figure of fate brought dignity and finesse to the realistic details and soaring facility to the liberating syncopations.

As the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is increasingly marked by Jamison's artistic vision, transitions are inevitable. Beloved soloists Sarita Allen and Marilyn Banks gave farewell performances on December 11. Impressive for her dramatic gifts, Allen is the sort of extroverted powerhouse who can dazzle an audience with the drop of an eyelash. Smaller and more compact, Banks has a sly vulnerability that can tickle ribs or break hearts. The Ailey-troupe's collective ability to instill choreography with lofty emotional impact was on view during a September performance in Athens at the Theater of Herod Atticus, just below the top of the Acropolis. Operating as a venue for inspiration and amazement for roughly 2,000 years, the theater is home to artists and spectators from around the world. Watching the Ailey ensemble in action there was a vivid reminder of the company's stature as a national treasure with tremendous export value: These dancers are unmatched for an effervescent expression of the dynamic, fearless, and inclusive aspects of American culture.