Ailey II Artistic Director Francesca Harper is excited that this acclaimed second company to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT), with a reputation for showcasing exciting young talent, is forging a new path for modern dance that is inclusive, experimental, and transformative. All of that will be vividly on display during its Joyce Theater season, running March 17-22.
“It’s so exciting. This year, we’re performing an unprecedented four new works by young choreographers. We have the world premiere of ‘Berry Dreamin,’ by former AAADT and Ailey II member Chalvar Monteiro, that centers the music, personality, and soul-stirring lyricism of Chuck Berry, the father of rock ‘n’ roll,” Harper says. “We were commissioned to create a work inspired by Chuck Berry’s music, in celebration of his centennial. It reimagines his rich origin story and explores his coming of age, rise to stardom, and all of the life-lessons you have as a Black person in a world with that kind of visibility.” Harper adds, “I’ve been watching Chalvar for a while and he’s really amazing. What’s so interesting about him is that in addition to having worked with the AAADT, he’s worked with Kyle Abraham and has Merce Cunningham influences. He also teaches at NYU. He’s so talented, so creative, and so smart.”
Ticking off the other new works on the program, Harper says “coming of age” seems to be a frequent theme being explored: “I think these young artists were very inspired to create works based on where they are in this moment.” For her piece, “In Session,” Rena Butler took the rapper and singer Doechii’s (aka Jaylah Ji’mya Hickmon) rise, or glow-up as she calls it, and Ailey II’s own glow up and making the parallels between what it means to transition into your own sense of self or to exist in a community while also investigating rebellion and finding your own voice in the context of like-minded people.”
“When Francesca approached me about making a full-company finale work, I was really inspired by this Doechii music interview talking about the insecurities and hurdles she had to overcome as a young artist stepping into the music business, and what it takes for any single artist to maintain their success.” Butler said, adding, “But I’m also thinking about the dancers in the company. What is life like beyond Ailey II? It’s such a brief experience, so I wanted to find something that could be reflected or mirrored their psyche at the time and help cultivate a little bit of confidence, and I think Doechii’s music does that for me.”
Harper says the choreographers also found inspiration in several of the Alvin Ailey classics. “They watched ‘Revelations,’ ‘Streams,’ Ailey highlights with ‘House of the Risin’ Sun,’ and the pieces are almost influenced and inspired by their understanding of the full program. … There’s been a cohesion but also real diversity because all four of these are really strong in their voice.”
Additional examples of how Ailey II nurtures young artists as they find and perfect their choreographic voice are Renée I. McDonald’s work “Likes vs. Life” and My’Kal Stromile’s “Third Person Point of View.” McDonald’s work explores how social media can contribute to anxiety, depression, comparison, pressure to be perfect, external validation, loneliness, bullying, and finding joy in the downfall of others. Here, three dancers wrestle with these powerful forces, the need to connect, and the desire to escape.
Choreographer My’Kal Stromile’s work is about another kind of connection, Harper says. “He is examining a relationship with three people. That’s a first for Ailey II, and I think it’s also kind of present in their generation, and so I think it’s another kind of coming-of-age story. We enter a non-traditional relationship in its fully functioning form — fluid, intricate, and quietly intimate. We then rewind to the beginning of the relationship, and what the audience sees is two people deeply attuned, and a third seeking entry, admiration, and a place to belong. As the title “Third Person Point of View” suggests, the piece invites the audience to witness from the outside, observing a relationship as it unfolds without ever being directly addressed.
Of Ailey II’s direction under Harper’s leadership and the overall direction of the new Artistic Director, Alicia Graf Mack, Harper says, “Ailey II is intentionally present in where we are, and I think founding Ailey II Artistic Director Emerita Sylvia Waters did the exact same thing in her time at the helm.” In fact, Sylvia recently said to me, “At Ailey, we’re in the center of innovation.” Harper says that cutting-edge sensibility has long inspired her. “Growing up and seeing ideas on stage that I had never seen before has been such an inspiration, but so has the Ailey legacy.” Harper says the upcoming program also has an eye on the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s roots, as evidenced by the incorporation of Alvin Ailey’s magnificent work, “Streams,” on the Joyce Theater program. In fact, the Joyce engagement features two programs — one of entirely new works and a second that Harper refers to as “Legacy Shaping the Future.” Both seem structured to offer viewers an opportunity to honor the past and embrace the future.
Ailey II welcomes four new dancers — Kamani Abu, Jada Ammons, Christian Butts, and Adanna Smalls — who join the eight returning members: Carley Cruzat Brooks, Meredith Brown, Jennifer M. Gerken, Xavier Logan, Xhosa Scott, Darion Turner, Eric J. Vidaña, and Jordyn White.
The Joyce Theater engagement opens on Tuesday, March 17, at 7:30 p.m. with New Works, a testament to the company’s mission of showcasing daring new choreographic talents. Following the Wednesday, March 18, performance at 7:30 p.m., there will be a post-show discussion with artists from Ailey II. The limited engagements will run for eight shows only! Tickets starting at $17 are on sale now, and can be purchased at ailey.org/aileyiinyc or by phone at 212-242-0800.