SoFu Lifestyle had the opportunity to ask Alicia Graf Mack, Artistic Director about the upcoming Atlanta stop on their tour.
AILEY celebrates the African American cultural experience through performance, classes, and community programs. How do you see dance functioning as a form of storytelling for African American history and culture?
Dance is our legacy in motion. Through dance, we can share our stories, our beauty, and our authenticity through a rich diversity of movement languages that speak directly to the soul. The mission that Alvin Ailey left for us is so clear. Every day, working with this company, I witness Mr. Ailey’s dream made manifest: to use dance to inspire and enlighten, telling stories of real people, their pride, struggle, joys, and triumphs.
Alvin Ailey’s vision was to make dance accessible and “give dance back to the people.” In what ways do you see that mission being carried forward today through Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s performances and community programs?
We strive to meet people wherever they are and engage them with the universal message at the heart of AILEY. Many people don’t realize the breadth of AILEY. It includes not only our professional companies, but also training, education, and community programs for all. In addition to Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, we have Ailey II, the professional company for early career dancers; the Ailey School for pre-professional training, which includes a joint BFA program with Fordham University; Ailey extension classes for the broader community; plus AileyCamp, full-scholarship summer programs in 10 U.S. cities for inner-city middle schoolers. There are now four members of the company who began their dance journey at AileyCamp!
While we are here in Atlanta, performing at the Fox Theatre from February 11 through February 15, we will also offer a school-time performance on Friday, February 13 for Atlanta students, moderated by one of our dancers to give the next generation a behind-the-scenes look at what we do. Ailey Extension will host an Ailey Experience for Horton and contemporary jazz techniques on January 30 and February 1, open to people of all ages, from 8 up, no experience required. Ailey Arts In Education will be bringing our Revelations curriculum-based residency to KIPP Collegiate and School of the Arts—and on top of that, we will be holding auditions for The Ailey School for aspiring professional dancers. Our approach is to engage with people through various means, no matter their level of dance training or fluency—because that’s at the heart of our mission from Mr. Ailey’s guiding belief that dance is for everybody.
Looking back on your time with AILEY, which performance has had the greatest personal impact on you, and why?
As you may know, Revelations, which Mr. Ailey choreographed in 1960, is our signature masterpiece. It’s an expression of what he called his “blood memories” of growing up in a Black Baptist church in rural Texas. It’s autobiographical, and at the same time it’s a universal celebration of our common humanity and the resilience of the human spirit. When I was a dancer with the company, one of my roles was the woman who carries the umbrella in the “Wade in the Water”section of Revelations. That role was taught to me by the incomparable Judith Jamison, who served as Artistic Director following Mr. Ailey and who later became my mentor. It feels as if she passed the umbrella to me, as a symbol of faith and renewal, and I have the deep honor now of passing on the umbrella to the next generation of dance artists.
How has your experience as an AILEY dancer shaped the way you understand the role of dance within the community?
It’s so powerful to be able to have this homecoming to AILEY after being a dancer in the company and gaining meaningful professional experiences as an educator and arts administrator. Judith Jamison and Robert Battle, both my predecessors as Artistic Director, shaped my conception of the work of being an AILEY dancer and embodying Mr. Ailey’s legacy and vision. They taught me to have a regard for our history but also have a strong sense of what the future could be.
AILEY brings together dancers from a wide range of backgrounds. How has performing alongside such a diverse group of artists influenced your growth and presence onstage?
The Ailey company inspired me as an aspiring dance student; it was the culmination of a dream to become a dancer with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and it is now the honor of a lifetime to lead AILEY forward. Alvin Ailey wanted to provide a platform to share so many different stories with a diverse range of choreographic voices and movement languages. I was so privileged to be able to perform works by Alvin Ailey and so many other amazing choreographers who allowed us to go on a journey of exploration as dancers to inspire our audiences. Alvin Ailey said that with this company’s performances, "I want to hold up the mirror to society so that people can see how beautiful they are." Being surrounded by artists so committed to excellence and full of passion, each with their own perspective and voice, informed my artistry. Now, every day I continue to be inspired by the world-class Ailey dancers as they bring this special season of performances to the stage.
What advice would you give to young dancers who see AILEY as a source of inspiration?
I was introduced to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater company as a young child, through a VHS tape of Donna Wood performing “Cry.” I connected to it deeply—it spoke to the very shy, quiet child in me, who loved to dance, and loved to emote, but could not speak. My advice to anyone who feels seen and understood by Mr. Ailey’s legacy is to hold onto that love for dance and movement, and to that idea of moving forward and being community oriented, and allow it to give you resilience and momentum.
tt feels as if [Judith Jamison] passed the umbrella to me, as a symbol of faith and renewal, and I have the deep honor now of passing on the umbrella to the next generation of dance artists.