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AAADT in Johan Inger's Walking Mad

Repertory

Walking Mad

COMPANIES

CHOREOGRAPHER

WORLD PREMIERE

New York City Center, 2016

REHEARSAL ASSISTANT

Yvan Dubreuil

RUN TIME

28 Minutes

MUSIC

“Boléro” Composed by Maurice Ravel

COSTUMES

Johan Inger

COSTUME PROJECT MANAGER

Rebecca Josue

LIGHTING

Erik Berglund

Johan Inger’s daring, contemporary take on Ravel’s Bolero brings waves of emotion—first laughter, then tears—and employs a long, movable wall that can be a physical partition, or a symbol of the barriers people construct in their relationships. A cunning choreographer, Inger knows how to keep the audience laughing with the dancers’ vaudevillian antics to effectively hit them with a sudden pivot toward angst, as when the music switches to Arvo Pärt's “Für Alina” at the end.

 

A group of dancers perform a synchronized kick, holding jackets in their hands. They wear dark hats and are illuminated by a row of stage lights above. The background features wooden panels on a dark stage.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Johan Inger's Walking Mad Photo by Paul Kolnik

Four dancers wearing red cone hats and colorful shirts (yellow, green, blue, and brown) lean forward with outstretched arms, chasing a dancer in a light gray dress who is running towards the right. The background features wooden panels.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Johan Inger's Walking Mad Photo by Paul Kolnik

A dancer in a brown dress hangs from the top of a wooden fence, with her feet off the ground. Another dancer peers over the top of the fence from the right side. Various clothing items are scattered on the stage below.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Danica Paulos and Michael Francis McBride in Johan Inger's Walking Mad Photo by Paul Kolnik

Three dancers perform on a stage with a wooden fence backdrop. One dancer in a pink dress is lifted high by another dancer in black pants and a gray shirt, while a third dancer stands to the left, walking towards them. The stage is lit by a row of bright lights above.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Jamar Roberts, Jacquelin Harris, and Glenn Allen Sims in Johan Inger's Walking Mad Photo by Paul Kolnik

A dancer in a gray outfit performs an intense pose on stage, holding another dancer tightly, with one hand covering their face. The background is completely black, highlighting the dramatic composition.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater's Rachael McLaren and Jamar Roberts in Johan Inger's Walking Mad Photo by Paul Kolnik

Of all the dances I’ve seen inspired by the hypnotic crescendo of Ravel’s ‘Bolero,' this is the most interesting.

Sarah L. Kaufman, The Washington Post

Funders

Leadership support for Walking Mad was provided by The Pamela D. Zilly & John H. Schaefer New Works Endowment Fund. 

Music Credits

“Boléro” Composed by Maurice Ravel © Editions DURAND S.A. obo REDFIELD BV. & NORDICE BV. Recording with Orchestre de Montreal, Conductor CHARLES DUTOIT (1980), By arrangement with Boosey & Hawkes, Inc., Sole Agent in the US, Canada and Mexico for Durand S