Debut: stepping into vintage Ailey.The first day of New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of City's transit strike was not the best time for a debut performance. Technically, it would be Asha Thomas' second time in the duet "Fix Me Jesus" from Revelations, since she danced it three days earlier. And Thomas is not new to Alley's signature work. "We all do Revelations from the first year," says Thomas, who has been with Alvin Alley American Dance Theater The German Tanztheater ("dance theatre") grew out of German expressionist dance. Its most influential performers are Pina Bausch and Susanne Linke. since 1999. "Fix Me Jesus" was the only section she hadn't yet learned. But still. Would there be anyone in the audience? Thomas already performs a role for which "Fix Me Jesus" is considered a prerequisite--the lead in Ailey's Memoria. The roles offer a similar technical challenge, but Thomas takes particular pride in the new duet's emotional demands. "It's more than having a high leg and doing the technical feats," she says. "You have to have the vulnerability." Linda Geleste Sims coached her, and artistic director Judith Jamison came in to fine-tune. The role requires incredible control, and Thomas paid special attention to making the movement seamless and to the musicality of the gospel score. "You can't move too slowly," she says. "Also there are shapes that have to be seen. Miss Jamison emphasizes, 'This is a contraction, this should be a hinge.' Every detail in Alley's work is important and we want to preserve his vision." And what a vision it is, as the man lifts the woman from behind her outstretched out·stretch tr.v. out·stretched, out·stretch·ing, out·stretch·es To stretch out; extend. outstretched Adjective arms, evoking a crucifixion. Later, she falls to the side and he catches her just before she hits the floor, her body never breaking its rigid line. The emotion comes through Thomas' sinewy sin·ew·y adj. 1. a. Consisting of or resembling sinews. b. Having many sinews; stringy and tough: a sinewy cut of beef. 2. Lean and muscular. See Synonyms at muscular. limbs; her face remains impassive. The final pose is a breathtaking extension of her whole body while perched on the wriggling muscle of the man's thigh. The thigh in this case belonged to Jamar Roberts. As the two took their places onstage in the blackout, Thomas says Roberts held her hand and her shoulder. "It helped me feel that he was there for me," she says. The nearly full City Center house gave Revelations its usual standing ovation. There was an added bonus. Thomas performed in an opening excerpt ex·cerpt n. A passage or segment taken from a longer work, such as a literary or musical composition, a document, or a film. tr.v. ex·cerpt·ed, ex·cerpt·ing, ex·cerpts 1. from Memoria. The footsore foot·sore adj. Having sore or tired feet, as from too much walking. foot  sore audience was rewarded with bookends of her suffering women, eloquently forming Ailey's shapes in the perfect adagio a·da·gio adv. & adj. Music In a slow tempo, usually considered to be slower than andante but faster than larghetto. Used chiefly as a direction. n. pl. a·da·gios 1. time. Karen Hildebrand is education editor for DANCE MAGAZINE. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion