Alvin Ailey Revelations Essay

Carolina Braga
Steven Mihalik
ENG 160-16
February 9th, 2015

Celebrating the 55th Anniversary of Revelations: Review for Dance Magazine
Revelations may have first been performed in the 1960s, but it is far from outdated. 55 years later, Revelations is still significant and impactful in the world of dance. More than just a popular dance piece, Revelations has become a cultural treasure. It is the signature choreographic work of the Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, and it was first performed in New York City on January 31st, 1960. In a time when America was gradually becoming ethnically diverse, Alvin Ailey played a vital role in carrying this progression into the dance world. Ailey uses Revelations to tell the story of African-Americans from slavery

to freedom.
According to DeFrantz, Revelations is not only one of the most significant cultural dance masterpieces, but it is also the most watched modern dance classic around the world. (DeFrantz 1). The piece has three distinct sections; which each symbolize different parts of the overall story Ailey was trying to convey. According to Ailey, “Pilgrim of Sorrow” symbolizes the African-Americans hope and prayers to escape their situation in the South, “Take me to the Water” brings to life a baptismal, and “Move, Members, Move” illustrates a Sunday morning at church (Ailey 1). Ailey uses choreographic elements such as lighting, costumes, music, and dance movement to powerfully and successfully tell his story.  Through dance, Revelations demonstrates various aspects of the African-American journey. One of the sections, “Pilgrim of Sorrow,” powerfully illustrates the hardships and faith of African-Americans during this time. Ailey uses multiple choreographic elements to tell his story. Music, besides the dance movement itself, is one of the most influential components to convey the concept of the dance. Within this section, there are three songs: “I’ve been Buked, “Didn’t my Lord Deliver Daniel,” and “Fix me Jesus.” These three songs are spirituals and gospels; capturing the African-American spirituality and communal belief in Christianity. Throughout African-American experience, spirituality has not only been a way for them to remain hopeful, but also to cope with their hardships. The lyrics in all three songs also have a common message; they are all pleas to God to save them from suffering. Examples of this are: “fix me jesus, fix me for my dying breath” and “there is trouble all over this world.” Musical choices very impactful to convey a message in a dance piece, and Ailey picks these three songs to demonstrate African-American religion, spirituality, and culture.
Besides music, costumes and lighting are additionally symbolic and significant.

The sadness and seriousness of the dance is expressed by the color tones in the costumes and lighting. The whole scheme is dark and neutral; there is no color throughout the whole piece. The lighting the entire time is very dim. The background is completely black and a very dim light is shined on the dancers when they are dancing. This makes the tone very somber, and when paired with the music and costumes, really makes the entire mood of the dance come together. The costumes are very plain and simple. They are sleeveless tank tops and gaucho pants for the men, and a plain long brown dress for the girls. It should also be noted that they are barefoot, and have no accessories on. The choice of these costumes sets a realistic backdrop. Additionally, these costumes demonstrate their lack of individuality and freedom since they are all wearing identical

costumes.
Lastly, the most impactful constituent of “Pilgrims of Sorrow” is the choreography itself.

The dancers begin in unison in a large clump. They dance together with slow movements; reaching up with their arms straight and palms open. It is to be noted that when they stretch their arms up, they tilt their head and look up as well. Throughout the piece the dancers repeat this movement, which represents reaching and praying to God. The dancers are constantly reaching up, embodying their despair and their yearning for help. As the dance progresses, the dancers repeatedly break out of the clump in the center and do different movements and their own sequences. After this, they always go back to their clump and do synchronized movement. Their constant breaking away from the group symbolizes their continual want to be free, as well as their persistency. On the other hand, their constant going back to the group shows how African-Americans will always be joined together by their culture, prayer, and hardships. Additionally during the piece, multiple dancers will run up to another dancer and jump or hold onto them, and then they do a couple of movements together. This shows how they are reliant and dependent on each other, and how they need each other throughout their suffering. Lastly, Much of the movement in this section possesses the downward energy characteristic of African dance, which symbolizes a connection to the earth. The choices Ailey made choreographically communicates all

his ideas and themes about African American faith, hardship, and cohesiveness.
As a whole, Alvin Ailey’s Revelations was an extremely influential and significant dance piece. Revelations is a piece with emotion and meaning. Ailey introduced African-American history to the world of dance. He made a social and political statement and demonstrated African-American faith, culture, and hardships. Ailey achieved this by using choreographic elements such as lighting, costume, movement, and song choice. Though the dance was created in 1960s, it is a classic and is still performed every year by the Alvin Ailey Dance Company.