Dance: Move, members, move

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
Legacy
choreography Alvin Ailey, Ronald K Brown
dancers Leonardo Brito, Michael Cherry, Patrick Coker, Shawn Cusseaux, Sarah Daley-Perdomo, Caroline T Dartey, Isaiah Day, Solomon Dumas, Mason Evans, Samantha Figgins, Sebastian Garcia, James Gilmer, Ashley Kaylynn Green, Jacquelin Harris, Xavier Mack, Renaldo Maurice, Corrin Rachelle Mitchell, Jesse Obremski, Kali Marie Oliver, Tyrone Reese, Deidre Rogan, Hannah Alissa Richardson, Mahalaya Tintiangco-Cubales, Isabel Wallace-Green, Christopher R Wilson, Dandara Veiga
music Duke Ellington, Chuck Griffin, Leon Russell
costumes A Christina Giannini, Jane Greenwood, Ves Harper, Omotayo Wunmi Olaiya, Ursula Reed
Sadler's Wells, London • 15-19.Sep.26 ★★★★★

Nearly 70 years after its formation in 1958 New York, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater brings a programme of vintage pieces to Sadler's Wells (plus new works on other nights). These classics feature Ailey's distinctive mix of jazz, blues and gospel vibes, drawing on his Southern heritage with echoes of West African culture. This is gloriously expressive choreography, a soaring blend of ballet and modern movement that elevates the audience.

The Legacy programme opens with excerpts from Night Creature (1974), moving to the groovy bounce of Duke Ellington's big band score. Dressed in sparkling dresses and skin-tight body suits, the dancers evoke a buoyant night out, prowling and shimmering. Two witty and sexy movements feature expansive arms, swaying hips, weightless footwork and slyly flirtatious eye contact, ending on a high-energy note that evokes New York's ballroom scene. 

This is followed by two solos: first, Yannick Lebrun performs to Donny Hathaway's rendition of A Song For You (1972), mixing physical strength with achingly deep emotion. Then on a red-hued stage, a sparky Constance Stamatiou dances an excerpt from Cry (1971), a colourfully funky piece that ripples with tough-minded determination and a celebratory spirit.

Grace (1999) is the one piece here choreographed by Ronald K Brown, and it pulses with party-like R&B rhythms as colours of both the stage and costumes shift around the company. It opens in an earthy mood with tribal and gospel flourishes, as the performers playfully interact to create a growing sense of exuberance with kicks and leaps. It's a glorious expression of inner spirit featuring solos, duets and full group moments that are packed with clever touches. And it reaches a series of triumphant highs.

The final section is Ailey's signature piece Revelations (1960) which uses traditional spirituals to explore deep emotional connections. Watching this is like being taken to church, with insistent beats that burrow into our souls as the dancers perform expressive, evocative choreography to both plaintive prayer-like songs and more pulsing numbers like Fix Me, Jesus and Wade in the Water. It's packed with breathtaking movement and balance, running, spinning and lifting, both in full-company formations and individual breakouts like Xavier Mack's dazzling I Wanna Be Ready solo.

It closes with the triumphant, sun-washed staging of Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham that gets us bouncing in our seats as if we're sitting along the edge of the church hall, waiting for our turn to get up and strut our stuff. No matter how many times we see Revelations, it always feels fresh and alive, encouraging us to express our feelings with full-bodied joy. It's a visually spectacular show, and it radiates love throughout the room.

For information: SADLER'S WELLS >

photos by Christopher Duggan, Paul Kolnik, Danica Paulos,
Glyn Stanley, Tyler Whitman • 16.Sep.26