FILM
Doc Looks Back on Alvin Ailey’s Life
Film follows late choreographer’s journey from childhood
BY GARY M. KRAMER
The late choreographer
and founder of the
American Dance Theater,
Alvin Ailey, used
movement to reveal meaning. His
modern style of dance is poetry in
motion. His work is sinuous and
sensuous. “Ailey” is director Jamila
Wignot’s agile documentary
on the infl uential choreographer
that provides a celebratory portrait
of the man, his work, and his
legacy. On that last point, the fi lm
intersperses choreographer Rennie
Harris rehearsing a piece honoring
the company’s 60th anniversary.
Wignot uses archival clips of
Ailey talking about his life, such
as the sacrifi ces dancers make —
physically, fi nancially, and even in
their relationships. He describes
his arriving in New York, training
under Martha Graham, and
being a “rebel,” who “had his own
ideas.”
“Ailey” also fl ashes back to his
childhood in Texas during the
1930s and 1940s. He lived with
his mother — he never saw his father
— and had a friendship with
Chauncey Green, with whom, Ailey
implies, shared some intimate moments
together. These recollections
are spoken in poignant voice-overs
as footage depicts Black youths
playing in a fi eld, or swimming, to
represent the nostalgic times.
The visuals work best when Ailey
explains that his memories of honkytonks
informed his dance “Blue
Suite” in 1958. The production
garnered acclaim for him and his
company, and scenes from a performance
A still from “Ailey,” which focuses on the life of Alvin Ailey.
that are juxtaposed with
footage from back in the day make
the connection clear. Likewise, Ailey’s
experiences in the church infl
uenced his landmark 1960 piece,
“Revelations,” and “Masekela Language,”
in 1969, was a reaction to
the murder of Fred Hampton and
the rage and anger of Black men
and women. His 1971 production,
“Cry,” was a tribute to Black women
like his mother, and “Memoria”
in 1979 was for his late friend
Joyce Tisler. The snippets from
the performances of these various
productions are welcome because
they showcase Ailey’s vision and
the graceful, fl uid movement of his
dances.
Ailey explains that as a youth,
“dancing started to pull at me,”
and while he was not keen on playing
NEON/JACK MITCHELL/SUNDANCE INSTITUTE
football in school, he excelled
at gymnastics. He also admits that
he didn’t dare tell anyone he wanted
to be a dancer. The fi lm does not
need to explain why.
Wignot’s documentary, however,
does skimp on showing how his career
developed, even as it traces Ailey
immersing himself in dance after
seeing the Ballet Russes. When
Ailey saw Katherine Dunham and
other Black performers on stage, he
was truly motivated. Ailey eventually
studied under Lester Horton,
but the fi lm does not describe how
Ailey passed on Horton’s technique
to his dancers.
Many of the fi lm’s interviewees
are former members of his company,
including Masazumi Chaya,
George Faison, Sylvia Waters,
Hope Clarke, and others. Their
stories about Ailey provide shading
for his life and work, but only
rarely provide insight — as when
Judith Jameson describes Ailey
being both encouraging and exacting
in rehearsals. Watching
clips of Ailey at work choreographing
are fascinating, and there is a
powerful moment when company
member Mary Barnett emphasizes
how dance allowed her to express
“I am” on stage.
However, too much of “Ailey” recounts
experiences of the company
on tour. An anecdote about a trip to
Australia describes the troupe performing
to a crowd of 25 people one
night and a packed house the next.
At a show in Germany, the attendees
would not let the dancers leave,
banging their shoes on the walls.
These recollections reveal more
about the reception to Ailey’s work
than about Ailey himself. A story
about fi nding a hotel on a road trip
across America touches on the issues
of race for this mixed-race
dance company, but again, it feels
slight.
Wignot’s fi lm also does not discuss
Ailey’s sexuality much. (Ailey
was not forthcoming about his
private life). Several interviewees
talk about Ailey being alone much
of the time. Ailey does recount one
relationship, with a young man
named Abdullah, whom he met in
Paris and lived with briefl y in New
York, but that is the extent of his
personal relationships. More attention
— but still not very much — is
given to the specter of AIDS, which
took Ailey’s life in 1989.
“Ailey” does generate some real
interest when Bill T. Jones, the
subject of the recent (and superior)
dance documentary “Can
You Bring It,” raises a point about
Ailey experiencing “imposter syndrome,”
which might explain his
workaholic nature. But this idea is
raised and left hanging, not unlike
an episode in Ailey’s life when he is
institutionalized for mental health
issues.
Ultimately, Wignot covers too
much ground without enough
depth. It is fabulous to see the performances
and there are some nice
candid moments — as when Ailey
talks about hair with an off-screen
interviewer. “Ailey” is certainly effusive
about its subject, and the
passion he sparked in his company
— and his company members
have for him — is clearly on display.
However, viewers hoping for
a more in-depth portrait will fi nd
this pleasant documentary lacking.
AILEY | Directed by Jamila Wignot
| Opening July 23 at Film at Lincoln
Center | Distributed by Neon
JULY 29 - AUGUST 11, 2 14 021 | GayCityNews.com
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