Life Dances: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater 1970 to 1980

Life Dances is a book of poetry which captures the world-famous Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre from 1970-1980. The Introduction starts where the critics first begin to call Alvin Ailey a genius just after his company returns from its triumphant tour of Russia the first American modern dance company to go behind the Iron Curtain. The fact that this is a black company makes its success even more significant. Robértu Ras Riley was close to Alvin Ailey and to his art. He was his friend fellow artist and fan. In this section of the book he describes Ailey and his choreography as he struggles and creates against a background of national and international events of the l970s. The poems are about the Ailey dancers mainly; their lives their classes their rehearsals their talent and their magnificent performances. There are poems about dance teachers patrons benefactors and famous choreographers from other dance companies commissioned by Ailey to create works in his own company. Everybody who was associated with the great Alvin has been included: Leonard Bernstein Harry Belafonte Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and others. There is even a poem about Intermission. There are poems to the times that we lived in as black people. In l970s America African-Americans still held on steadfastly to the hope they had derived from the 1960s. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre is where that hope lived where it was taken into full account and made into art. At the end of the book there is a Postlude to one of the companys most famous dancers Ulysses Dove. There is also a surprise Encore!