Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ode by Jamar Roberts Photo by Paul Kolnik
Repertory
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ode by Jamar Roberts Photo by Paul Kolnik
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ode by Jamar Roberts Photo by Paul Kolnik
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ode by Jamar Roberts Photo by Paul Kolnik
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Ode by Jamar Roberts Photo by Paul Kolnik
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Y. Lebrun, C. Monteiro, R. Maurice, and S. Dumas in Ode by Jamar Roberts Photo by Paul Kolnik
NEWS & PRESS
Listen to an NPR Morning Edition feature on Ode
CBS New York Article, 12/1/19: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Kicks Off 2019 Holiday Season
"'It is a tribute to victims of gun violence. I really wanted to do something really beautiful, so in essence, it’s a poem. I’m not really depicting any one scene in particular, but I really wanted to do something that was gonna really help facilitate healing to most of the communities and families affected,' Roberts said."
View this article on the Ailey Pressroom
The New York Times review, 12/11/19: A Dance About Gun Violence? ‘Ode’ Is Daring and Delicate
"'Ode' isn’t obvious, though. It’s delicate, daring and heartbreaking. Pitfalls of maudlin cliché surround the subject, but Mr. Roberts has skirted them, above all through his bold choice of music […] His emotions and his musicality are hooked up in a distinctive, quietly persuasive fashion. In 'Ode,' his sensuous, full-bodied choreography is anchored in the music at a deep enough level that it’s free to flow over the surface in its own form, slowing and speeding and sometimes maintaining two tempos at once. Something similar is at work among the dancers. Their connection is palpably strong but under threat, and the interplay of unison and do-your-own-thing — the call-and-response between soloist and group — keeps up an underlying tension parallel to the music's."
View this article on the Ailey Pressroom
The New York Times feature story, 12/9/19: At Alvin Ailey, a Quiet Disrupter With No Time for Tears
"The music fit his vision: 'Ode' isn’t about gun violence, but a balm for those who have lived in its aftermath. It’s rooted in healing."
See it Live
Music Credits
“Suite (Sweet) Malcolm (Part 1 Memories and Gunshots)” by Don Pullen. Courtesy of Universal Music Corp, all rights reserved. Ode was made possible with generous support from Kathleen & Ernest Abrahamson, Simin N. Allison, Judith McDonough Kaminski & Joseph Kaminski, Denise Littlefield Sobel, Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach, Tracy Elise Poole, and The Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn & Nicolas Rohatyn New Works Endowment Fund. The creation of Ode was supported by commissioning funds from New York City Center.
Funders
Ode was made possible with generous support from Kathleen & Ernest Abrahamson, Simin N. Allison, Judith McDonough Kaminski & Joseph Kaminski, Denise Littlefield Sobel, Daria L. & Eric J. Wallach, Tracy Elise Poole, and The Jeanne Greenberg Rohatyn & Nicolas Rohatyn New Works Endowment Fund. The creation of Ode was also supported by commissioning funds from New York City Center.
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