Black Is Back

The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has become a legendary force throughout the world since it was founded in 1958. The first and still most prominent African-American troupe broke all boundaries, not only in ethnicity but also in movement and style. Yet more than 50 years later, the company needed...

By Anne Tschida

February 23, 2012

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The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater has become a legendary force throughout the world since it was founded in 1958. The first and still most prominent African-American troupe broke all boundaries, not only in ethnicity but also in movement and style. Yet more than 50 years later, the company needed some rejuicing, and last summer it got just that with the appointment of Robert Battle as the new director. The Miami native returns to his hometown to debut a refreshed Ailey repertoire in the Ziff Ballet Opera House at the Adrienne Arsht Center (1300 Biscayne Blvd., Miami). From Thursday through Sunday, Battle leads almost two dozen new dancers in an evening that will include a piece from the über-cool hip-hop choreographer Rennie Harris, Home; a premiere from Paul Taylor, Arden Court; an Indian-dance-inspired work, Takademe; and an Ailey classic from 1970, Streams, among others. Reviews from the cities that Ailey has already visited in its 2012 tour confirm there is renewed energy and spirit under Battle’s guidance, though the physicality and famously breathtaking beauty of the dancers have always been worth the price of admission alone.
Feb. 24-26, 8 p.m.; Sun., Feb. 26, 2 p.m., 2012

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