Welcome to Cuesheet,

a performance guide

published by the

Education Department

of the John F. Kennedy

Center for the

Performing Arts,

Washington, D.C.

This Cuesheet is

designed to help

you enjoy a

mini-performance

of Alvin Ailey American

Dance Theater.

This fan marks

topics for

discussion or activities

you may want to do

with other students,

friends, or family.

Washington

Performing ArtsSociety

Members of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Revelations

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Alvin Ailey and Company

B orn in a small Texas town in 1931,Alvin Ailey learned early about the

sharp differences between blacks andwhites. Decades later, when Aileycreated his dance company in 1958,African Americans were often excludedfrom other dance companies. Aileyknew many talented African-Americandancers, and he wanted to createdances that would both show off theirtalent and express their heritage. AfterAiley’s death in 1989, Judith Jamison,one of Ailey’s leading dancers, becamethe company’s director. Today, Jamisoncontinues Ailey’s commitment tobringing dance to all people.

Ailey’s Dance StyleAiley’s dance style developed fromcareful observation of humanmovement. From these observations,Ailey assembled movements whichappealed to him to create dances that were uniquely his own.

Three other choreographers—LesterHorton, Martha Graham, and JackCole—had a particularly stronginfluence on Ailey.

• Lester Horton wanted his dancers to use as much space as possiblewhile turning, bending, and jumping across large distances.

• Martha Graham’s dance technique is built on contraction and release—movements that extend the act ofbreathing. In a contraction, thedancer exhales and curves the spine; in a release, the dancerinhales and lifts the chest.

• Jack Cole was a jazz choreographerknown for his use of expressive hand movements. Jazz dancersmove their hips more freely thanmodern or ballet dancers.

Watch That MoveDuring the performance, watchfor movements that suggest

the influence of each of these choreographers.

heritage—customs and

beliefs handed down from

earlier to later generations

integrated—people of all

races included

Alvin Ailey, Founder, wanted anintegrated company.“I didn’t wantall the same bodies, or all the samecolor, in my company.”

Judith Jamison, Artistic Director,was considered too tall andathletic for classical ballet.

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“Dance is for everybody, it came from the people. It should always be given back to the people.”

—Alvin Ailey

Choreographer: Alvin Ailey

Music: Traditional African-American Spirituals

R evelations is based on Alvin Ailey’schildhood memories of worshipping

at his Baptist church in Texas. The dancepremiered in 1960 and is consideredAiley’s masterwork. Some have calledit a hymn to God and man. Expressingthe intense emotions of spirituals,Revelations is divided into three sections:“Pilgrim of Sorrow,” “Take Me to theWater,” and “Move, Members, Move.”Each section includes several dancesrepresenting different emotionsexperienced in Baptist worship.

In “Pilgrim of Sorrow,” the dancersportray people who hope for salvation in spite of life’s difficulties. Watch for themovements that suggest reaching towardheaven and being pulled back to earth.

“Take Me to the Water” depictsAiley’s own baptism, which took placein a pond behind his church. Watch formovements suggesting rippling water.

“Move, Members, Move” begins witha dance portraying three sinners’ desperateattempt to escape. In the final dance, achurch congregation gathers to worship.Watch for movements that suggestgossiping conversations, discomfort on a hot day, and the hope of salvation.

Revelations

Briana Reed and Amos J.Machanic, Jr.perform in “Pilgrim of Sorrow.” The dancers' positionsemphasize the weight of their bodies, suggesting the heavy burden of earthly problems.

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spirituals—songs that were

developed among African

Americans during slavery.

They express religious

beliefs, teach, scold, or

communicate information

baptism—Christian ritual in

which water is used symbolically

to wash away sins

In “Take Me to the Water,” the white parasol held by the dancer suggests relief from the hot sun.The dancer must concentrate to keep the parasol upright, even as she performs difficult movements.

Blood MemoryAiley described the memories that inspired Revelations as “blood

memories” because they were so stronghe felt they were part of his blood. Writea paragraph describing an experiencefrom your own life that is so importantyou believe it will become a bloodmemory to you.

Using Elements of Theater

There is good reason why Alvin Aileycalled his company “a dance theater.”

Ailey was interested in how elements of theater—costumes, props, lighting,and music—could be combined withdance to communicate with an audience.

Costumes: Colors Have MeaningsYou will see that the color scheme forthe costumes is different in each sectionof Revelations. In “Pilgrim of Sorrow,”the dancers wear earth-toned costumes;in “Take Me to the Water,” the costumesare white; and in “Move, Members,Move,” the dancers wear yellow. Afterthe performance, discuss why Aileymight have chosen these colors. Discusshow each color relates to the meaningof each section of the dance.

Stephen A. Schwarzman

Chairman

Michael M. Kaiser

President

Darrell M. Ayers

Vice President, Education

For more information about

the performing arts and arts

education, visit our Web sites:

kennedy-center.org/education

artsedge.kennedy-center.org

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

The performances and educational

activities of the Alvin Ailey

American Dance Theater are a

co-presentation of the John F.

Kennedy Center for the Performing

Arts and the Washington

Performing Arts Society.

Cuesheet is funded in part through

the support of the U.S. Department

of Education, the Kennedy Center

Corporate Fund, and the Morris and

Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation.

Developed from a Cuesheet

created by Lillie Stewart and

Karen Selwyn

Cuesheet Editor: Lisa Resnick

Design: Simmons Design

©2004,The John F. Kennedy Center

for the Performing Arts

ResourcesYou may want to…

read:

Ailey, Alvin and A. Peter Bailey.Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey. Secaucus, NJ: BirchLane Press, 1995.

Dunning, Jennifer. Alvin Ailey:A Life in Dance. New York, NY:DeCapo Press, 1998.

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. Alvin Ailey.New York, NY: Hyperion Books forChildren, 1993.

watch:

Four by Ailey.VHS. Director ThomasGrimm. Dance Horizons, 1986.

listen to:

Alvin Ailey American DanceTheater. Revelations.V2 Records63881-27036-2, 1998.

go online:

Alvin Ailey Web site: alvinailey.org

Props Tell a StoryIn Revelations, the dancers use props tohelp bring Ailey’s childhood memoriesto life. Watch for:

• Long sheets of blue and white fabric stretched across the stage to suggest water

• White parasols, wide-brimmed hats, and fans to imply the heat of Texas summers

• Stools used by the dancers to represent a seated church congregation

How Lighting Creates MoodRevelations begins with a group ofdancers standing under a single spotlighton a darkened stage. Later, the dancersmove across a fully illuminated stage.After the performance, consider howthese and other lighting effects wereused to create different moods.

Moving to MusicThe dancers in Revelations move to thesound of African-American spirituals.Listen for these lines from the songs:

“There is trouble all over this world.”

“Wade in the water.”

“Oh sinner man, where you gonna run to?”

After the performance, discuss how the dancers’ movements related tothese words.

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The dancers in “Move, Members, Move” wearcolorful yellow costumes resembling the formalclothing worn to church. Notice how the dancerslean towards each other to suggest conversation.

Choreography byAlvin Ailey

Music by Duke Ellington“Night Creature”

N ight Creature is a dance set to music by jazz pianist Duke Ellington. Although the dance does not

have a specific storyline with named characters, Night Creature was created by Mr. Ailey to explore the ritual of nightlife. The way the dancers move is intended to resemble animal movement and to communicate moods or ideas rather than tell stories.

The choreography for Night Creature includes three different components of Ailey’s movement vocabulary. During the performance, watch for:

• slow jazz walks—an influence of modern dance• boogie-woogie—an influence of social dancing• arabesques—an influence of classical ballet.

The Influence of MusicOften, the inspiration to create a dance comes directly from the music. Duke Ellington was quoted as saying the following about his inspiration to compose the music used in Night Creature:

“Night creatures, unlike stars, do not come OUT at night—they comeON, each thinking that before the night is out he or she will be the star.”

Using the information you know about the dance, answer thefollowing questions:

• How does Duke Ellington’s quote help your understanding of thechoreography?

• If not animals, who are the “real” night creatures?

Movement Vocabulary—the dance movements

frequently seen in a choreographer’s works

Jazz Walk—a low, sunken walk with feet and hips

turned outward

Boogie-Woogie—an upbeat style of blues music

from the 1920s that became popular in social dancing

Arabesque—A ballet position on one leg in which

the dancer extends a raised leg backward while

stretching one or both arms forward.

Members of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater areseen here in a posed position from Night Creature.Notice how both costumes and hand gestures contributeto the appearance or feeling of stars at night.

Getting Ready to See

PHOTO BY ANDREW ECCLES

M odern dance was developed in America nearly 100 years ago as a reaction against the rules and structure of ballet. While

ballet dancers strive to appear weightless, modern dancers embracegravity. The following information outlines the basic differencesbetween modern dance and ballet. During the performance, watch for movements that represent either modern dance or ballet.

Modern Dance• Methods and choreographic styles are more personal; may

include everyday movements such as walking, skipping, running,and falling

• Builds on modified versions of ballet positions; also uses as manypositions as the choreographer can imagine

• Upper body is loose and fluid• Sometimes uses asymmetrical, or not identical, patterns and designs• Dancers usually perform in bare feet to maintain a closer

connection to the floor• Acknowledges and uses gravity

Classical Ballet• Based on accepted steps, movements, and traditions that go back

hundreds of years• Uses five basic positions of the feet and arms• Upper body is held stiff and upright• Based on symmetrical, or identical,

corresponding patterns and designs• Dancers wear ballet slippers or

pointe shoes• Airborne, tries to defy laws

of gravity

On Performance Day

You, The AudienceDance is a collaborative art requiring the work of many people. The finalcollaborator is you, the audience.Watching dance is different fromwatching television and movies. Thedancers are in the same room as you and are affected by your actions. Byremaining quiet and attentive, you helpthe performers to concentrate and dotheir best. The other members of theaudience will appreciate your thoughtfulattention during the performance, too.

Visiting The Kennedy CenterThe Kennedy Center is a living memorial

to John F. Kennedy, the Presidentof the United States from 1961 to 1963. As a living memorial,

the Kennedy Center is aplace where dance, music,and theater can be

experienced every day on one of its nine stages. Enjoyyour visit!

Rather than trying to defy gravity as ballet dancers would, these dancers are grounded,an important characteristic of modern dance.

AMOS J. MACHANIC, JR.,DWANA ADIAHA SMALLWOOD,AND MATTHEW RUSHING IN NIGHT CREATURE.

PHOTO BY A

NDREW E

CCLES

The Kennedy Center is in Washington, D.C. but can easily be seen across the Potomac River from the state of Virginia.

Defining