Ife/My Heart

Ronald K. Brown, the choreographer who dazzled audiences with his powerhouse hits Grace and Serving Nia, brings his signature fusion of modern, hip hop, and African dance back to the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater repertory. Casting his eye on social and cultural themes, Brown emerged in the early 2000s as one of the most exciting choreographers of his generation. "Brown is one of a handful of choreographers rethinking what dance can do," The New York Times reported.

“Each time I come to Ailey, I feel that I can go deeper, I can ask for more from the dancers,” Brown said. “This time I also felt that I could work closer to the way that I work with my own company, which means that I’m asking the dancers to make a kind of spiritual investment in the movement and in the story.” In Grace and Serving Nia, the choreographer explained, the physicality propelled the story, and the larger-than-life size of the movement was familiar to the Ailey dancers and audiences, even if the style of the movement was not. In Ife/My Heart, he said, “the audience will really have to come into the story and meet the dancers, because it’s not so forcefully thrown at them.”

Ife/My Heart was inspired by Brown’s meditations on love, specifically among members of a family. “As the oldest of four kids, the dynamic among my siblings is something that I’m very grateful for. I’m drawn to that feeling in relationships—that kind of unconditional love, that kind of relationship where you require people to be there, to be themselves, and you encourage them to be the best.” Brown sees the ballet as “a family love prayer. You’re able to love yourself, but your heart is something else—it’s your family.” 

Brown chose a range of music from Nigeria, Cuba, and North America that all have a common spiritual or religious message. He also incorporates a poem by Ursula Rucker that talks about the disconnection that people feel in today’s society. “Because we feel safe in America, we find ways to be aloof or to not stay connected to current events on a spiritual, prayerful level,” he believes. “For one thing, that’s not God-like. Furthermore, the people who are fighting for our lives need our love and support. Ife/My Heart allows us to take responsibility for how we love each other and how we operate in the world. From a physical level and a spiritual level, we just try to be really honest. Because the audience can only witness what the dancers feel. I really hope that the audience witnesses that feeling and embraces the generosity and the love of the piece.”