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♪ O'er the land of the free ♪
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♪ And the home of the brave! ♪
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The
John F. Kennedy Center
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for the Performing Arts,
honoring Alvin Ailey.
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- Alvin Ailey has a passion
for movement that reveals
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the meaning of things.
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His is a choreography
of the heart,
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00:01:04,565 --> 00:01:07,985
drawing a whole new
public to modern dance.
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Alvin Ailey is Black and
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he's universal.
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The very spirit that has
made him a Pied Piper
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of modern dance.
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And that's his genius.
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♪ You better run ♪
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♪ Run on for a long time ♪
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♪ I said, run home
for a long time ♪
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♪ Let me tell you God
almighty gonna cut you down ♪
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♪ Go tell that liar ♪
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♪ Midnight rider ♪
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♪ Gambling rambler ♪
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♪ That's right ♪
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♪ I tell him God almighty
gonna cut him down ♪
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♪ Oh yes ♪
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♪ One of these days,
just mark my word ♪
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♪ Oh yes ♪
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♪ Your neighbor
has gone to work ♪
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00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:49,276
♪ Oh yes ♪
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♪ Woke up, knock on the door ♪
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♪ That's all brother,
you're not no more ♪
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♪ Go tell him, that liar ♪
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♪ Midnight rider ♪
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♪ Gambling rambler ♪
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00:02:00,621 --> 00:02:05,084
♪ That's right, tell him God
almighty gonna cut him down ♪
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00:02:55,301 --> 00:02:57,011
Rehearsal now beginning.
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- Yes sir.
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00:03:04,810 --> 00:03:05,603
- Hello.
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00:03:06,729 --> 00:03:08,397
Come on down!
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00:03:10,482 --> 00:03:13,360
So, we're embarking
on a longer work
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00:03:13,402 --> 00:03:17,198
that delves into aspects
of Mr. Ailey's life,
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with the great storyteller,
Mr. Rennie Harris.
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- Hey, what's happening?
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So yeah, we're
gonna do something,
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we're gonna create.
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Whatever it is,
it gotta be good.
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You know, so...
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All right, so Nina
and Millie gonna start
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showing you guys
some of the movement
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and what have you, yeah?
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Okay, all right, cool.
52
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- Gonna start with irk and jerk.
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Uh, huh, ha, ha.
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Yeah.
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Six, seven, eight, it goes.
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Huh, huh, huh, huh.
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Yeah, so you're
pulling that weight
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over to the left, left,
and then right, right.
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Five, six, seven, eight.
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00:03:59,198 --> 00:04:00,074
Go ha, ha, ha, ha.
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00:04:01,617 --> 00:04:03,744
Five,
six, seven, eight.
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00:04:03,786 --> 00:04:04,995
Ha, ha, ha, ha.
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00:04:06,080 --> 00:04:07,581
One more time and seven, eight.
64
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Go ha, ha, ha, ha.
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00:04:10,042 --> 00:04:13,170
Robert Battle, just
called me out of the blue,
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and said, I want you
to come do a piece
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about Mr. Ailey for the 60th
anniversary of the company.
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- Here we go, top, six, seven,
eight, go off the floor.
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Ha, ha, ha, ah, ah,
ha, ha, go ,
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six, seven, and eight.
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And step tap, step tap,
step tap,.
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Yeah, yes.
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- The history of Ailey,
it's off the scale.
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You know what I mean?
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00:04:45,744 --> 00:04:48,330
How do you present
something like 60 years?
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00:05:05,931 --> 00:05:07,391
- Parallel if you can,
all right?
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00:05:07,433 --> 00:05:09,852
We're gonna start with
making a vocabulary.
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00:05:09,893 --> 00:05:12,563
If I can get the movement
out, I can create the story.
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Yeah!
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Two,
three, four, five.
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- I always felt the
dance was a natural part
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of what I wanted to express,
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that what I could do
with my body was a part
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of a very important part of me.
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And a way to release some
of those things in myself
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that I had been looking for.
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- There it is.
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♪ Where you gonna run
to all of that day ♪
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♪ Come to the rock ♪
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♪ Rock won't ya hide me ♪
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♪ Come to the rock ♪
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♪ Rock won't ya hide me ♪
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- Yeah, that's a nice clip.
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Let's play that again.
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- I'm Alvin Ailey.
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00:06:02,529 --> 00:06:03,489
I'm a choreographer.
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I create movement and I'm
searching for truth in movement.
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00:06:08,994 --> 00:06:10,371
For dance to me...
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I just sit there
and watch, to find out
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what made Mr. Ailey, Mr. Ailey.
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Reflect life.
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I choreograph.
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Three, four, five, one, two,
four, five, loose fingers.
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Show what's in your hand, yes.
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Good.
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The head accent there,
round pump, yes.
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Four, five.
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Sunday, January
17, 1988,
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talking with Alvin Ailey.
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Do you feel as though you
had to sacrifice anything
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to stay in dance?
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Everything.
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Dance, it's an enormous
sacrifice.
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00:07:01,547 --> 00:07:03,674
I mean, it's a physical
sacrifice.
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00:07:03,715 --> 00:07:05,134
Dancing hurts.
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You don't make that much money.
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I mean, touring six
months out of the year
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is disastrous on any kind of
personal relation.
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It's a tough thing.
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You know, you have to be
possessed to do dance.
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I came to New York City in 1954.
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I was a live and springy 24,
who loved to dance.
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It was a catch-as-catch-can
dancer's life.
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Everybody that I could have ever
dreamed of,
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00:08:06,695 --> 00:08:09,781
was here in New York City and
when I got here,
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I immediately jumped into
classes
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with all of them.
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00:08:16,330 --> 00:08:20,292
I studied with Martha Graham,
Charles Weidman, Hanya Holm.
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But I was the usual rebel
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and I
had my own ideas.
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I had these creative fires
bubbling inside.
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Dark, deep things.
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Beautiful things inside me that
I'd always
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been trying to get out.
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My blood memories.
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The memories of my parents,
uncles and aunts.
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00:08:56,119 --> 00:08:59,831
Blues and the gospel songs that
I knew from Texas.
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00:09:04,086 --> 00:09:06,964
I was born in the
Depression, 1931.
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00:09:08,131 --> 00:09:12,594
Tough times, rural country.
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00:11:24,976 --> 00:11:27,020
♪ Listen here folks, we
wanna sing a little song ♪
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00:11:27,062 --> 00:11:29,231
♪ Don't get mad, we
don't mean no harm ♪
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♪ You know, it's
tight like that ♪
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♪ Beedle-um-Bum ♪
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♪ Oh, it's tight like that ♪
145
00:11:33,276 --> 00:11:34,319
♪ Beedle-um-Bum ♪
146
00:11:34,361 --> 00:11:35,904
♪ Oh, ya hear me
talkin' to you ♪
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00:11:35,946 --> 00:11:38,615
♪ I mean it's tight like that ♪
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00:11:41,284 --> 00:11:43,662
♪ Made a date at the barn
about-a half-past-ten ♪
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00:11:48,041 --> 00:11:49,042
♪ Beedle-um-Bum ♪
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00:11:49,084 --> 00:11:50,627
♪ Oh, ya hear me
talkin' to you ♪
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00:11:50,669 --> 00:11:54,506
♪ I mean it's tight like that
I went to see my gal ♪
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♪ Over across the hall ♪
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♪ Found another
mule kicking in my door ♪
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♪ Beedle-um-Bum ♪
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00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:01,805
♪ Oh, it's tight like that ♪
156
00:12:01,847 --> 00:12:03,223
♪ Beedle-um-Bum ♪
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00:12:10,939 --> 00:12:12,566
♪ When she whip it,
its too bad Jim ♪
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00:12:12,607 --> 00:12:13,817
♪ You know, it's
tight like that ♪
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00:12:19,322 --> 00:12:21,408
♪ I mean it's tight like that ♪
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00:12:25,245 --> 00:12:26,496
♪ Bum-bum-biddly got
to carry me to town ♪
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00:12:26,538 --> 00:12:28,123
♪ You know it's tough
like that ♪
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00:12:28,165 --> 00:12:29,249
♪ Beedle-um-Bum ♪
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00:12:29,291 --> 00:12:30,167
♪ You know it's
tight like that ♪
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♪ I've cried ♪
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So, I made a dance
called "Blues Suite."
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♪ And the tears rolled
down my cheeks ♪
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♪ Yes, I've cried ♪
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00:13:05,202 --> 00:13:10,040
♪ Tear rolled down my cheeks ♪
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00:13:13,084 --> 00:13:18,006
♪ I think about my baby ♪
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00:13:18,048 --> 00:13:22,344
♪ Wants me the woman
you used to be ♪
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00:13:25,013 --> 00:13:27,974
"Blues Suite" is a
reflection of that time.
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00:13:30,352 --> 00:13:33,188
The problems, but the romance.
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00:13:33,772 --> 00:13:37,734
We as a Black people have
made something fantastic.
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00:13:37,776 --> 00:13:39,820
The fact that Black people
get through.
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00:13:39,861 --> 00:13:44,074
♪ Yes, I've cried ♪
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00:13:44,115 --> 00:13:49,079
♪ Til the tears rolled
down my cheeks ♪
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00:13:52,207 --> 00:13:57,045
♪ I think about my baby ♪
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00:13:57,087 --> 00:14:01,466
♪ Wants me the woman
you used to be ♪
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00:14:06,888 --> 00:14:08,515
Three, four,
five, six, seven, eight,
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00:14:08,557 --> 00:14:12,185
and two, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight,
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00:14:12,227 --> 00:14:15,856
and three, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight,
182
00:14:15,897 --> 00:14:20,277
and four, two, three, four,
five, six, seven, eight.
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00:14:20,318 --> 00:14:22,696
- Okay, let's try this
group and this group here.
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00:14:22,737 --> 00:14:24,239
Still do what you do.
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00:14:24,281 --> 00:14:26,867
All right, five, six,
seven, eight, and.
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00:14:26,908 --> 00:14:28,952
One,
two, three, four,
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00:14:28,994 --> 00:14:30,745
five, six, seven, eight, and.
188
00:14:33,290 --> 00:14:35,500
- I want you pointing down.
189
00:14:36,793 --> 00:14:38,503
Five, six, seven, eight, and.
190
00:14:38,545 --> 00:14:42,966
One, two,
three, four, six, eight, and.
191
00:14:43,008 --> 00:14:46,136
- Mr. Ailey talked
about blood memories.
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00:14:46,177 --> 00:14:47,304
What his parents went through,
193
00:14:47,345 --> 00:14:48,597
his parents' parents
went through,
194
00:14:48,638 --> 00:14:49,806
what his folk went through.
195
00:14:49,848 --> 00:14:51,933
And that was a major key for me.
196
00:14:54,644 --> 00:14:57,564
Memory, that was the anchor.
197
00:15:07,157 --> 00:15:11,870
♪ Don't mean a thing if
you ain't got that swing ♪
198
00:15:11,912 --> 00:15:14,372
♪ Doo wah, doo wah, doo
wah, doo wah doo wah ♪
199
00:15:14,414 --> 00:15:15,957
♪ Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah ♪
200
00:15:15,999 --> 00:15:18,460
I moved to Los Angeles
when I was 12,
201
00:15:18,501 --> 00:15:20,170
at the beginning of
World Word II.
202
00:15:22,339 --> 00:15:27,469
It was a vibrant, alive, a
different kind of environment.
203
00:15:29,346 --> 00:15:31,848
When I was 14, I
discovered the theater.
204
00:15:33,266 --> 00:15:35,226
Where I first saw the Ballet
Russe de Monte-Carlo.
205
00:15:46,613 --> 00:15:49,240
And here was a new world.
206
00:15:55,038 --> 00:15:58,917
It became my ritual then,
to come downtown.
207
00:16:02,671 --> 00:16:04,798
I saw everything that came
along.
208
00:16:07,759 --> 00:16:09,844
But there was nobody Black,
209
00:16:09,886 --> 00:16:12,764
nobody to model oneself after.
210
00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:26,861
And then one day, I saw
Katherine Dunham.
211
00:16:42,252 --> 00:16:45,255
I couldn't believe that
here are Black people
212
00:16:45,296 --> 00:16:47,424
on a legitimate stage.
213
00:16:50,802 --> 00:16:53,555
I was just taken into
another realm.
214
00:16:56,266 --> 00:17:00,228
And here was this unbelievable
creature.
215
00:17:04,607 --> 00:17:07,944
And male dancers who were just
superb.
216
00:17:10,405 --> 00:17:12,782
The jumps, the agility, the
sensuality
217
00:17:12,824 --> 00:17:15,035
of what they did blew me away.
218
00:17:18,705 --> 00:17:20,623
And the material.
219
00:17:21,332 --> 00:17:23,668
What she was doing was
Afro-Caribbean.
220
00:17:23,710 --> 00:17:26,546
It was blues, it was spirituals.
221
00:17:26,588 --> 00:17:30,425
And it touched something
Texas in me.
222
00:17:56,242 --> 00:17:58,620
But my gym teacher decided
that I should
223
00:17:58,661 --> 00:18:00,538
be on the football team.
224
00:18:00,914 --> 00:18:02,791
So he made me a right tackle.
225
00:18:02,832 --> 00:18:04,834
And I said, "Coach, you know,
226
00:18:04,876 --> 00:18:07,712
I have these people running
and knocking me down
227
00:18:07,754 --> 00:18:09,547
and this is not gonna work."
228
00:18:11,174 --> 00:18:12,133
He said, "What's wrong with you?
229
00:18:12,175 --> 00:18:13,551
You some kind of a sissy?"
230
00:18:13,843 --> 00:18:16,513
And I wanted to say, "Yes!"
231
00:18:22,936 --> 00:18:26,523
- I saw Alvin in the
gymnastics class.
232
00:18:26,564 --> 00:18:27,982
They had free exercises.
233
00:18:28,024 --> 00:18:30,652
You know, it was
all slow motion.
234
00:18:30,693 --> 00:18:32,737
It was more like
dancing, actually.
235
00:18:32,779 --> 00:18:34,656
And he was beautiful.
236
00:18:36,074 --> 00:18:38,743
But he didn't dare let
anybody know that he wanted
237
00:18:38,785 --> 00:18:43,581
to be a dancer, because he
would be teased or humiliated.
238
00:18:45,917 --> 00:18:47,794
But I told him, you
oughta be a dancer.
239
00:18:50,797 --> 00:18:53,675
- Alvin was the
kid who was handsome.
240
00:18:53,716 --> 00:18:55,677
He was charismatic.
241
00:18:55,718 --> 00:18:57,595
We became fast friends.
242
00:18:59,806 --> 00:19:02,851
We went to parties together.
243
00:19:02,892 --> 00:19:05,353
We were always in
each other's company.
244
00:19:08,231 --> 00:19:12,902
And then realizing that we
both had an interest in dance,
245
00:19:15,446 --> 00:19:20,410
that propelled me to follow
him to the Horton School
246
00:19:21,286 --> 00:19:22,829
to watch his class with Carmen
247
00:19:22,871 --> 00:19:24,998
and we walked
through those doors.
248
00:19:26,332 --> 00:19:28,835
It's like you're going
into a different world.
249
00:20:41,491 --> 00:20:45,745
. It was just a
complete education.
250
00:20:45,787 --> 00:20:48,248
Lester taught us to
justify movement.
251
00:20:48,289 --> 00:20:52,252
Not just to do a step but to
feel something about the step.
252
00:20:53,086 --> 00:20:57,840
Not just to do a plie, but to
give it some kind of emotion.
253
00:21:01,386 --> 00:21:04,055
- Lester induced us to
254
00:21:06,307 --> 00:21:10,353
to search and Alvin did.
255
00:21:10,937 --> 00:21:13,731
He went to his resources.
256
00:21:15,275 --> 00:21:18,569
He drew on his experiences
and that was his beginning.
257
00:21:35,712 --> 00:21:39,215
I see the dancer
as the physical historian.
258
00:21:39,257 --> 00:21:41,509
The dancer holds the
information from the past,
259
00:21:41,551 --> 00:21:42,885
the present, and the future.
260
00:21:45,805 --> 00:21:49,434
Why a particular movement
was relevant or important,
261
00:21:49,475 --> 00:21:51,185
why it was valued
in my community.
262
00:22:06,743 --> 00:22:10,705
They have this information
stored in their body.
263
00:22:24,886 --> 00:22:27,013
If the Lord gets
ready,
264
00:22:27,055 --> 00:22:29,265
Child, you've got to move.
265
00:22:30,016 --> 00:22:34,103
The Lord gets ready, you got to
move.
266
00:22:34,854 --> 00:22:37,273
You got to move, you got to
move.
267
00:22:39,901 --> 00:22:42,236
Every Sunday, we were at church.
268
00:22:44,489 --> 00:22:46,866
Praise God to the almighty.
269
00:22:52,288 --> 00:22:55,124
Our beautiful Black songs from
the churches.
270
00:22:55,166 --> 00:22:56,501
The joy of these people,
271
00:22:56,542 --> 00:22:59,212
of my aunts and uncles
exploding in church.
272
00:22:59,253 --> 00:23:01,172
It's something that
was always with me.
273
00:23:03,633 --> 00:23:06,594
I remember there was this
procession of people
274
00:23:06,636 --> 00:23:08,179
all in white.
275
00:23:11,182 --> 00:23:13,184
They sang "Wade in the Water."
276
00:23:13,226 --> 00:23:16,187
♪ Wade in the water ♪
277
00:23:22,360 --> 00:23:24,445
I came up with a
piece.
278
00:23:24,487 --> 00:23:29,409
An evening long saga of the
Black experience.
279
00:23:34,038 --> 00:23:39,001
♪ I've been 'buked and
I've been scorned ♪
280
00:23:43,548 --> 00:23:48,094
♪ Yes, I've been 'buked ♪
281
00:23:48,136 --> 00:23:51,472
♪ and I've been scorned ♪
282
00:23:51,514 --> 00:23:56,477
♪ Children ♪
283
00:23:58,229 --> 00:24:01,482
♪ I've been 'buked ♪
284
00:24:01,524 --> 00:24:10,533
♪ and I've been scorned ♪
285
00:24:10,575 --> 00:24:14,954
♪ I've been talked about ♪
286
00:24:14,996 --> 00:24:21,961
♪ show's you're born ♪
287
00:24:22,628 --> 00:24:27,300
♪ There is trouble
all over this world ♪
288
00:24:27,341 --> 00:24:32,013
♪ Yes, there is trouble
all over this world ♪
289
00:24:32,054 --> 00:24:37,018
♪ Children ♪
290
00:24:41,439 --> 00:24:44,400
♪ I've been 'buked ♪
291
00:24:44,442 --> 00:24:50,406
♪ and I've been scorned ♪
292
00:24:56,204 --> 00:25:01,167
♪ I've been talked about ♪
293
00:25:02,084 --> 00:25:10,134
♪ show's you're born ♪
294
00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:20,019
- I was moved to tears,
seeing "Revelations."
295
00:25:20,061 --> 00:25:22,146
I was studying ballet.
296
00:25:22,188 --> 00:25:26,275
I was studying modern dance.
297
00:25:26,317 --> 00:25:30,947
And this was more of
298
00:25:30,988 --> 00:25:34,700
a reenactment of life.
299
00:25:34,742 --> 00:25:41,999
♪ Oh fix me, Jesus ♪
300
00:25:42,333 --> 00:25:50,258
♪ Oh, fix me, Jesus ♪
301
00:25:50,633 --> 00:25:57,640
♪ Oh, fix me, Lord ♪
302
00:25:58,057 --> 00:26:02,228
♪ Fix me, Jesus ♪
303
00:26:02,270 --> 00:26:06,148
♪ Fix me ♪
304
00:26:07,525 --> 00:26:11,404
- Here was something where
these were human beings
305
00:26:11,445 --> 00:26:13,656
and they were dancing with joy
306
00:26:13,698 --> 00:26:16,909
and passion and
anger and sorrow.
307
00:26:18,953 --> 00:26:23,708
♪ Fix me, Jesus ♪
308
00:26:23,749 --> 00:26:31,299
♪ Oh, fix me, Lord ♪
309
00:26:31,674 --> 00:26:36,429
♪ Fix me, Jesus ♪
310
00:26:36,470 --> 00:26:38,764
♪ Fix me ♪
311
00:26:41,434 --> 00:26:43,686
- I thought to myself, wow.
312
00:26:43,728 --> 00:26:45,354
This is what I wanna do.
313
00:26:45,396 --> 00:26:47,815
♪ Oh, sinner man ♪
314
00:26:47,857 --> 00:26:49,191
♪ Oh ♪
315
00:26:49,233 --> 00:26:52,820
♪ Where you gonna run to ♪
316
00:26:52,862 --> 00:26:56,991
♪ All of that ♪
317
00:26:57,033 --> 00:27:00,161
♪ Run, run, run, run ♪
318
00:27:00,202 --> 00:27:07,126
♪ Run to the rock,
rock won't ya hide me ♪
319
00:27:07,209 --> 00:27:10,421
♪ Run to the rock,
rock won't ya hide me ♪
320
00:27:10,463 --> 00:27:13,674
♪ All on that day ♪
321
00:27:13,716 --> 00:27:15,343
♪ Run, run ♪
322
00:27:15,384 --> 00:27:22,058
♪ The Lord said sinner man,
the rock will be a melting ♪
323
00:27:22,141 --> 00:27:23,351
♪ The Lord said sinner man ♪
324
00:27:23,392 --> 00:27:26,771
- Alvin entertained
my thoughts and dreams
325
00:27:27,938 --> 00:27:32,610
that a Black boy
could actually dance.
326
00:27:33,819 --> 00:27:35,363
♪ You run to the sea ♪
327
00:27:35,404 --> 00:27:36,947
♪ Sea won't ya hide me ♪
328
00:27:36,989 --> 00:27:43,537
♪ Run to the sea, sea
won't ya hide me ♪
329
00:27:43,621 --> 00:27:44,789
♪ All ♪
330
00:27:44,830 --> 00:27:48,459
- It was a universe
that I could go into.
331
00:27:48,501 --> 00:27:53,464
I could escape to, that
would allow me to do
332
00:27:53,506 --> 00:27:55,007
anything that I wanted to.
333
00:27:59,512 --> 00:28:02,348
♪ Wade in the water ♪
334
00:28:02,431 --> 00:28:05,726
♪ Wade in the water ♪
335
00:28:05,768 --> 00:28:09,397
♪ Wade in the water, children ♪
336
00:28:09,438 --> 00:28:12,817
♪ Wade in the water ♪
337
00:28:12,858 --> 00:28:16,112
♪ God's a gonna
trouble the water ♪
338
00:28:16,153 --> 00:28:20,032
♪ Why don't you
wade in the water ♪
339
00:28:20,074 --> 00:28:23,202
♪ Wade in the water, children ♪
340
00:28:23,244 --> 00:28:26,956
♪ Wade in the water ♪
341
00:28:26,997 --> 00:28:30,292
♪ God's a gonna
trouble the water ♪
342
00:28:30,334 --> 00:28:34,130
♪ See that man all
dressed in white ♪
343
00:28:34,171 --> 00:28:36,966
♪ God's a gonna
trouble the water ♪
344
00:28:37,007 --> 00:28:41,011
♪ Oh, it looks like a
band of the Israelites ♪
345
00:28:41,053 --> 00:28:42,555
♪ God's a trouble ♪
346
00:28:42,596 --> 00:28:48,352
All the familiarity
of my African American-ness
347
00:28:48,853 --> 00:28:51,939
was all identified
in "Revelations."
348
00:28:53,023 --> 00:28:54,817
♪ Wade in the water ♪
349
00:28:54,859 --> 00:28:56,444
The
narrative of church.
350
00:28:56,485 --> 00:28:58,446
That was important to me.
351
00:28:58,487 --> 00:28:59,947
♪ See that ♪
352
00:28:59,989 --> 00:29:03,534
- What took me away was the
prowess and the technique
353
00:29:03,576 --> 00:29:06,370
and the fluidity and the
354
00:29:06,412 --> 00:29:09,165
excellence in the dance
that I saw.
355
00:29:09,206 --> 00:29:09,957
In the dance.
356
00:29:09,999 --> 00:29:13,210
That was the miracle.
357
00:29:13,252 --> 00:29:16,005
♪ Trouble the water ♪
358
00:29:16,046 --> 00:29:23,304
♪ Oh he gonna
trouble the water ♪
359
00:29:23,387 --> 00:29:27,433
♪ Oh he's gonna
trouble the water ♪
360
00:31:21,797 --> 00:31:23,757
- I came to New York
to be in a ballet
361
00:31:23,799 --> 00:31:27,511
called The Four Marys, with
the American Ballet Theater.
362
00:31:35,728 --> 00:31:37,688
It was a wonderful
place to be in.
363
00:31:38,814 --> 00:31:41,525
But when The Four Marys was over,
364
00:31:41,567 --> 00:31:43,444
there were no more positions.
365
00:31:43,485 --> 00:31:47,573
You were very specially
a guest artist there.
366
00:31:47,615 --> 00:31:48,741
You know, you could move
367
00:31:48,782 --> 00:31:50,242
into this neighborhood
for a minute
368
00:31:50,284 --> 00:31:52,995
but after you finished doing
your gig, please move out.
369
00:31:54,622 --> 00:31:57,625
But what was coming next?
370
00:31:57,666 --> 00:31:59,168
I did not know.
371
00:32:03,714 --> 00:32:06,634
I was sitting on these
steps watching an audition,
372
00:32:06,675 --> 00:32:11,513
and Judi was one of many girls
that inspired the set.
373
00:32:12,222 --> 00:32:14,224
I couldn't help but notice her.
374
00:32:14,266 --> 00:32:16,477
The length of the legs,
the feet,
375
00:32:16,518 --> 00:32:19,605
the back, those arms, that head.
376
00:32:19,647 --> 00:32:22,733
I said, "Oh my God, she's here."
377
00:32:30,491 --> 00:32:34,286
- I failed that audition so
miserable, I was so terrible.
378
00:32:35,371 --> 00:32:37,665
And I ran up the steps,
and there was a man
379
00:32:37,706 --> 00:32:40,668
sitting on the steps who I
couldn't even see who it was,
380
00:32:40,709 --> 00:32:42,086
it was Alvin Ailey.
381
00:32:42,127 --> 00:32:43,671
And he called me,
382
00:32:43,712 --> 00:32:45,339
and asked me to join the Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theater.
383
00:32:45,381 --> 00:32:48,258
Boom, that was it.
384
00:32:48,300 --> 00:32:50,719
- And, one, two, three, four
385
00:32:50,761 --> 00:32:51,762
one, two, three, four
386
00:32:51,804 --> 00:32:52,596
one, two, three
387
00:32:52,638 --> 00:32:53,555
one, two three
388
00:32:53,597 --> 00:32:56,350
one, two, one, two, one.
389
00:32:56,392 --> 00:32:58,018
One, two, one, two,
390
00:32:58,060 --> 00:33:00,229
one, two, one, two, one.
391
00:33:01,021 --> 00:33:02,398
One, two, three, four.
392
00:33:03,941 --> 00:33:05,317
Three, four, one, two,
three, four.
393
00:33:05,359 --> 00:33:07,945
one, two, three,
one, two, one, two.
394
00:33:10,406 --> 00:33:11,824
- Dancing with Alvin was hard.
395
00:33:13,534 --> 00:33:14,410
- One, two, three, four,
396
00:33:14,451 --> 00:33:15,786
one, two, three,
one, two, three.
397
00:33:15,828 --> 00:33:18,205
One two one two one.
398
00:33:18,247 --> 00:33:19,873
- Great!
- Argh!
399
00:33:19,915 --> 00:33:21,083
- Good job.
400
00:33:22,209 --> 00:33:23,419
Yeah, yeah...
401
00:33:24,294 --> 00:33:26,422
Count 18 and then start.
402
00:33:26,463 --> 00:33:28,632
- He would give you that look.
403
00:33:28,674 --> 00:33:32,803
You were wrong, you did
wrong, this is the look
404
00:33:35,097 --> 00:33:38,100
And that was Alvin.
405
00:33:41,228 --> 00:33:43,856
- He would say
things famously like,
406
00:33:43,897 --> 00:33:45,774
"Would you do my choreography?"
407
00:33:47,526 --> 00:33:50,195
But he was also
terribly encouraging.
408
00:33:51,697 --> 00:33:53,866
The exchanges that all of us had
409
00:33:53,907 --> 00:33:57,286
were full of large embraces.
410
00:33:59,163 --> 00:34:01,999
If he was talking to
you from 50 feet away,
411
00:34:02,041 --> 00:34:04,168
you would feel that embrace.
412
00:34:04,209 --> 00:34:05,878
You would feel that
comfort in knowing
413
00:34:05,919 --> 00:34:09,548
that you could make an
absolute fool of yourself.
414
00:34:09,590 --> 00:34:14,970
You know, you would feel safe
to extend yourself enough
415
00:34:15,929 --> 00:34:17,306
so that you felt free.
416
00:34:18,182 --> 00:34:19,600
- Right.
417
00:34:20,476 --> 00:34:22,519
I'm sorry to your left.
418
00:34:24,605 --> 00:34:25,731
I love the idea
of people
419
00:34:25,773 --> 00:34:27,941
coming and working together.
420
00:34:30,235 --> 00:34:32,863
I loved the idea of the
discipline.
421
00:34:35,199 --> 00:34:39,161
- Open and settle your
break very quickly.
422
00:34:41,163 --> 00:34:42,289
You and I, as
choreographers start
423
00:34:42,331 --> 00:34:44,750
with an empty space
and a body or two
424
00:34:44,792 --> 00:34:47,294
and we say "carve this space."
425
00:34:48,921 --> 00:34:51,381
I love creating something where
there was nothing before.
426
00:35:19,576 --> 00:35:21,954
- Dance dilutes folk.
427
00:35:26,542 --> 00:35:29,503
How it affects the body,
how it affects society,
428
00:35:29,545 --> 00:35:30,504
and how it's healing.
429
00:35:32,840 --> 00:35:36,760
As choreographers we are the
ones that are reaching out,
430
00:35:36,802 --> 00:35:39,138
navigating the spirit.
431
00:35:47,938 --> 00:35:49,398
- Mr. Ailey,
432
00:35:49,439 --> 00:35:53,402
he was the train moving to
spaces and shifting geographies
433
00:35:53,443 --> 00:35:54,236
and people.
434
00:35:56,196 --> 00:35:58,407
And we needed that bullet train.
435
00:36:16,383 --> 00:36:18,510
- I wanted to do the kind of
dance
436
00:36:18,552 --> 00:36:20,512
that could be done for the
man on the streets,
437
00:36:20,554 --> 00:36:21,930
the people.
438
00:36:21,972 --> 00:36:23,515
I wanted to show the black
people
439
00:36:23,557 --> 00:36:25,309
that they could come down to
these concert halls
440
00:36:25,350 --> 00:36:29,563
that it was part of their
culture being done there.
441
00:36:29,605 --> 00:36:34,902
And that it was universal.
442
00:36:42,951 --> 00:36:45,829
- The upcoming major, major
event
443
00:36:45,871 --> 00:36:49,499
was like a the seven or nine
week tour of one-nighters
444
00:36:49,541 --> 00:36:51,960
throughout the United States.
445
00:36:52,002 --> 00:36:56,548
And Alvin was in a
frenzied state.
446
00:36:56,590 --> 00:37:00,552
- A friend of mine recommended
me as a stage manager to Alvin.
447
00:37:00,594 --> 00:37:03,305
And I said, "How much
do they pay?"
448
00:37:03,347 --> 00:37:06,391
And she said, "Oh they
don't have any money."
449
00:37:06,433 --> 00:37:09,311
I said, "Okay well
you know I'll volunteer
450
00:37:09,353 --> 00:37:11,563
and let's see how it goes."
451
00:37:13,273 --> 00:37:15,484
And right after that,
452
00:37:15,525 --> 00:37:19,029
all of us, including Alvin
were on a bus.
453
00:37:19,071 --> 00:37:20,656
- One bus.
454
00:37:20,697 --> 00:37:24,409
Costumes, lighting,
everything one bus.
455
00:37:25,827 --> 00:37:28,205
- The ladder was down
the center aisle.
456
00:37:28,247 --> 00:37:31,041
The stools for "Revelations"
were underneath.
457
00:37:31,083 --> 00:37:33,794
- The luggage,
fans everything.
458
00:37:33,835 --> 00:37:36,546
We travel six,
seven hours a day.
459
00:37:36,922 --> 00:37:41,343
And you were doing
a state a night.
460
00:37:41,385 --> 00:37:45,931
And you'd drive up, get there,
jump off and rehearse.
461
00:37:52,562 --> 00:37:57,234
Perform, find some place to
eat after the performance,
462
00:37:57,276 --> 00:37:59,361
and this was before
fast food really.
463
00:37:59,403 --> 00:38:02,906
You know, we're like
truck stops, there we go.
464
00:38:03,532 --> 00:38:05,742
- Go to bed get up
the next morning.
465
00:38:06,868 --> 00:38:09,496
Same thing all over
again in another town.
466
00:38:23,510 --> 00:38:25,637
- It was a multi-racial
company.
467
00:38:27,597 --> 00:38:30,767
I was very concerned
about the treatment
468
00:38:30,809 --> 00:38:33,186
arriving at a hotel, or motel.
469
00:38:35,147 --> 00:38:40,110
I don't wanna hear anything
about we don't have any rooms.
470
00:38:40,152 --> 00:38:42,529
- One time in
Kirksville, Missouri
471
00:38:43,655 --> 00:38:48,076
this hotel was
absolutely dreadful.
472
00:38:50,078 --> 00:38:52,372
After the performance
the next day,
473
00:38:52,414 --> 00:38:54,124
we passed the Holiday Inn.
474
00:38:55,167 --> 00:38:56,418
And we were wondering,
475
00:38:56,460 --> 00:38:58,628
why weren't we in that hotel?
476
00:39:02,049 --> 00:39:04,343
- I sent pictures and reviews,
477
00:39:04,384 --> 00:39:06,720
to the hotels where
the company's going
478
00:39:06,762 --> 00:39:09,306
so it won't be as surprise
when they get there.
479
00:39:10,849 --> 00:39:13,560
I didn't want them to
have to go through that.
480
00:39:20,859 --> 00:39:24,738
- It was whirlwind,
when the tours came in.
481
00:39:28,533 --> 00:39:32,162
The European tours, Paris.
482
00:39:33,413 --> 00:39:34,998
London after that.
483
00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:36,875
You had a very
great success last time,
484
00:39:36,917 --> 00:39:37,417
in Holland hadn't you?
485
00:39:37,459 --> 00:39:38,960
- Yes we did.
486
00:39:39,002 --> 00:39:41,088
- This is our first performance
anywhere with the new group.
487
00:39:41,129 --> 00:39:42,631
Are you nervous?
488
00:39:42,672 --> 00:39:43,548
- But of course.
489
00:39:48,136 --> 00:39:50,597
In the studio
with me I have Alvin Ailey
490
00:39:50,639 --> 00:39:53,517
the the artistic director
of the American Dance theater.
491
00:39:53,558 --> 00:39:55,102
Thank you very much,
it's nice to be here.
492
00:39:55,143 --> 00:39:57,229
The Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater,
493
00:39:57,270 --> 00:40:00,524
is one of the most important
contemporary dance companies
494
00:40:00,565 --> 00:40:01,900
in the world.
495
00:40:09,825 --> 00:40:12,869
- People were just, oh my God
496
00:40:12,911 --> 00:40:14,579
they never seen
anything like it.
497
00:40:19,835 --> 00:40:22,796
They loved the company,
they really did.
498
00:40:27,092 --> 00:40:29,136
In Stuttgart, Germany
499
00:40:29,177 --> 00:40:32,139
they wouldn't
let us off the stage.
500
00:40:32,180 --> 00:40:35,976
It was about eighty some
bows that we had to do.
501
00:40:36,017 --> 00:40:39,271
I've never seen
people, stand up,
502
00:40:39,312 --> 00:40:42,232
take their shoes off
and hit the wall.
503
00:40:42,274 --> 00:40:47,154
No matter what we did, those
people would not go home.
504
00:40:47,654 --> 00:40:53,452
Take their shoes off,
bang on the wall chairs.
505
00:40:53,493 --> 00:40:56,496
They were going to stay
there all night if possible.
506
00:41:02,544 --> 00:41:03,879
- They were wonderful times
507
00:41:03,920 --> 00:41:07,299
because we were
kind of a family.
508
00:41:12,512 --> 00:41:14,014
- We all loved Alvin,
509
00:41:16,183 --> 00:41:18,935
but we weren't around
Alvin during the day.
510
00:41:19,978 --> 00:41:22,189
Seldom saw Alvin.
511
00:41:27,319 --> 00:41:32,282
It was like, Alvin was
here, the company was here.
512
00:41:35,577 --> 00:41:37,662
Something was
happening with him.
513
00:41:39,498 --> 00:41:43,084
One time I came up onstage
514
00:41:43,126 --> 00:41:45,420
and Alvin came up onstage
515
00:41:45,462 --> 00:41:48,423
and he grabbed me and he
516
00:41:48,465 --> 00:41:50,300
rolled up into the curtain.
517
00:41:50,342 --> 00:41:51,968
The curtain we rolled up...
518
00:41:52,010 --> 00:41:53,845
I say, "Alvin of what are you...
519
00:41:53,887 --> 00:41:55,972
What is wrong with you?"
520
00:41:56,014 --> 00:41:59,226
He said, "I don't know,
521
00:41:59,893 --> 00:42:01,770
I don't know."
522
00:42:02,771 --> 00:42:07,067
It's like another person
inside the person.
523
00:42:08,276 --> 00:42:11,279
It wasn't the Alvin that
we see all the time.
524
00:42:12,781 --> 00:42:15,575
- He needed a person
that he could talk to.
525
00:42:15,617 --> 00:42:17,619
A partner or a someone.
526
00:42:19,329 --> 00:42:21,540
Alvin did not have that.
527
00:42:23,250 --> 00:42:26,586
- He would have relationships,
but intermittent.
528
00:42:29,256 --> 00:42:33,468
That kind of one-on-one
relationship, he didn't have,
529
00:42:34,636 --> 00:42:36,096
except with his mother.
530
00:42:37,639 --> 00:42:42,727
I was an only child,
also the same as Alvin
531
00:42:42,769 --> 00:42:44,479
so I understood that.
532
00:42:48,316 --> 00:42:52,571
My relationship was
always with the company
533
00:42:52,612 --> 00:42:57,409
with the Ailey company,
that became family to me.
534
00:42:58,868 --> 00:43:00,579
As it was to Alvin.
535
00:43:18,013 --> 00:43:21,308
- He had this idea
and this vision.
536
00:43:23,018 --> 00:43:26,313
Alvin was driven to work.
537
00:43:36,698 --> 00:43:39,909
♪ There is a house ♪
538
00:43:56,509 --> 00:44:00,889
♪ It's been the ruin ♪
539
00:44:00,930 --> 00:44:05,560
♪ of many a poor boy ♪
540
00:44:05,602 --> 00:44:09,856
♪ And God, I know I'm one. ♪
541
00:44:09,898 --> 00:44:12,984
- We didn't have to go out
on the street and protest,
542
00:44:13,026 --> 00:44:14,527
our protest was on the stage.
543
00:44:15,695 --> 00:44:20,659
♪ If I ever listened ♪
544
00:44:21,451 --> 00:44:26,039
♪ What my mama said ♪
545
00:44:26,081 --> 00:44:29,709
♪ I'd have been at home today ♪
546
00:44:29,751 --> 00:44:31,961
- This was Alvin's art.
547
00:44:32,003 --> 00:44:35,048
This is what he took
up as his crusade.
548
00:44:44,140 --> 00:44:46,184
- This is our march to freedom.
549
00:45:12,168 --> 00:45:16,381
- The death of Fred Hampton.
550
00:45:16,423 --> 00:45:19,509
The police had just
broken into his apartment
551
00:45:19,551 --> 00:45:22,345
in the middle of the night,
Shot him point blank range.
552
00:45:25,390 --> 00:45:26,933
- There was a photograph
in the newspaper,
553
00:45:26,975 --> 00:45:30,520
of this young black man
in this tiny room,
554
00:45:30,562 --> 00:45:33,690
like a rat with all these
police holes around him.
555
00:45:36,901 --> 00:45:37,777
I mean, I can't get over that
556
00:45:37,819 --> 00:45:39,112
I'm a black man living in this.
557
00:45:39,154 --> 00:45:40,572
You know what I mean?
558
00:45:40,613 --> 00:45:43,241
If you're being followed
by a search light,
559
00:45:43,283 --> 00:45:45,076
if you're being
chased by the police.
560
00:45:59,799 --> 00:46:03,011
Masekela came from
a very deep feeling
561
00:46:03,052 --> 00:46:06,055
of you know, rage and
anger about the situation.
562
00:46:06,097 --> 00:46:07,140
- Nice.
563
00:46:10,185 --> 00:46:12,729
Nice stop the music, would you?
564
00:46:12,771 --> 00:46:14,731
Yeah, no.
565
00:46:14,773 --> 00:46:16,775
Let's try the...
566
00:46:16,816 --> 00:46:19,778
I want to feel like
you're in jail.
567
00:46:19,819 --> 00:46:21,696
Like you're behind bars.
568
00:46:21,738 --> 00:46:24,616
And I wanna feel all the
anger and the cutting.
569
00:46:24,657 --> 00:46:26,618
I wanna feel like you've
being pressed down
570
00:46:26,659 --> 00:46:28,119
when we take the arabesque.
571
00:46:28,161 --> 00:46:31,456
I want to feel the sense of
cursing at the outside room.
572
00:46:31,498 --> 00:46:32,957
Yeah, let's try it again.
573
00:46:34,751 --> 00:46:36,044
Very difficult to
do on the floors.
574
00:46:36,085 --> 00:46:37,045
Yes.
575
00:46:54,354 --> 00:46:57,315
- Choreography
was his catharsis.
576
00:46:57,357 --> 00:46:59,442
And a lot of times I've felt
577
00:46:59,484 --> 00:47:02,153
that even the woman in the
black dress was really him.
578
00:47:22,799 --> 00:47:25,134
- The character
he created on me,
579
00:47:25,176 --> 00:47:28,096
dies in the arms of the patron.
580
00:47:29,639 --> 00:47:31,641
And Alvin's saying,
581
00:47:31,683 --> 00:47:33,768
"Thank you ladies
and gentlemen."
582
00:47:33,810 --> 00:47:36,020
There was a deadly silence.
583
00:47:36,980 --> 00:47:38,356
- Thank you.
584
00:47:38,398 --> 00:47:40,483
Thank you very much,
ladies and gentlemen.
585
00:47:41,860 --> 00:47:43,444
Thank you.
586
00:47:43,486 --> 00:47:46,531
Thank you very much,
ladies and gentlemen.
587
00:47:49,075 --> 00:47:50,952
Thank you.
588
00:47:50,994 --> 00:47:55,832
Thank you very much,
ladies and gentlemen.
589
00:47:55,874 --> 00:47:58,459
Thank you.
590
00:47:58,501 --> 00:48:03,506
Thank you very much,
ladies and gentlemen.
591
00:48:03,548 --> 00:48:04,507
Thank you.
592
00:48:06,009 --> 00:48:09,470
Thank you very much,
ladies and gentlemen.
593
00:48:13,349 --> 00:48:15,727
- Fuck it, yeah.
594
00:48:15,768 --> 00:48:17,562
You came here to be entertained.
595
00:48:22,567 --> 00:48:24,861
But I have to tell my truth.
596
00:49:49,696 --> 00:49:51,739
- To me, it's not back then.
597
00:49:53,241 --> 00:49:55,785
Everything I'm talking about
is actually happening today.
598
00:50:04,711 --> 00:50:08,172
I'm still feeling the same
way as anyone would feel
599
00:50:08,214 --> 00:50:10,967
if you felt like you were
unwanted as a culture.
600
00:51:29,003 --> 00:51:30,588
Did mama have
something to do with you
601
00:51:30,630 --> 00:51:32,340
going into dance or did
she support this?
602
00:51:32,381 --> 00:51:33,716
When the the
dance bug bit me
603
00:51:33,758 --> 00:51:35,927
she said, "You go and do
whatever you wanted to do."
604
00:51:35,968 --> 00:51:37,512
You enjoy seeing
his company...
605
00:51:37,553 --> 00:51:40,723
- Oh boy he's the biggest
thrill of my life.
606
00:51:40,765 --> 00:51:42,892
And he still has farther to go.
607
00:51:42,934 --> 00:51:44,894
So that's why he's
just keeping on.
608
00:51:57,198 --> 00:51:59,992
Mrs. Cooper, working
somebody's house cleaning,
609
00:52:01,911 --> 00:52:03,204
and decide to go to Los Angeles
610
00:52:03,246 --> 00:52:05,706
to make life for him.
611
00:52:05,748 --> 00:52:08,709
You know that Alvin knows that.
612
00:52:19,679 --> 00:52:23,683
♪ Been on a train ♪
613
00:52:23,724 --> 00:52:26,352
- The black women who
would encourage you,
614
00:52:26,394 --> 00:52:29,272
♪ The whistle blows ♪
615
00:52:29,313 --> 00:52:30,773
who would be there always.
616
00:52:30,815 --> 00:52:34,193
♪ on a train north ♪
617
00:52:34,235 --> 00:52:37,405
Who were so supportive that
you could not fail.
618
00:52:37,446 --> 00:52:41,450
♪ The whistle blows ♪
619
00:52:43,452 --> 00:52:46,622
♪ I saw a man ♪
620
00:52:48,082 --> 00:52:51,085
♪ I saw a man ♪
621
00:52:51,127 --> 00:52:53,087
- I get these images.
622
00:52:55,089 --> 00:52:58,843
♪ he died slow ♪
623
00:53:01,429 --> 00:53:05,641
He would say things like
you're scrubbing floors,
624
00:53:07,101 --> 00:53:10,396
you're tending a
baby, you're a queen.
625
00:53:12,148 --> 00:53:17,445
♪ and I'm never gonna
be the same ♪
626
00:53:22,074 --> 00:53:24,744
- I had no inclination
that this was dedicated
627
00:53:24,785 --> 00:53:27,747
to all black women,
especially our mothers.
628
00:53:27,788 --> 00:53:30,458
That that this was a
birthday gift to his mom.
629
00:53:34,629 --> 00:53:38,174
But you could hear the
importance in the music.
630
00:53:39,884 --> 00:53:43,804
♪ Gonna soothe ♪
631
00:53:45,181 --> 00:53:49,227
♪ my pain ♪
632
00:53:50,019 --> 00:53:51,646
- The angst in her voice.
633
00:53:51,687 --> 00:53:56,651
♪ No no ♪
634
00:53:58,152 --> 00:54:03,574
♪ Damn you mister and
I dragged him out the door ♪
635
00:54:04,283 --> 00:54:06,994
♪ No no ♪
636
00:54:07,036 --> 00:54:10,456
♪ Damn you mister and
I dragged him out the door ♪
637
00:54:10,498 --> 00:54:14,168
And you just survive inside
of what he's giving you
638
00:54:14,210 --> 00:54:16,504
and what the music
is telling you.
639
00:54:16,545 --> 00:54:18,506
You know, you live
in those moments.
640
00:54:23,928 --> 00:54:28,474
♪ I suspect there's
a dream going on ♪
641
00:54:28,516 --> 00:54:33,229
♪ in a moment or two ♪
642
00:54:33,271 --> 00:54:36,691
♪ I still hear his
words he says ♪
643
00:54:36,732 --> 00:54:40,569
- Identity was a strong message.
644
00:54:42,571 --> 00:54:47,535
Being able to say
through the choreography,
645
00:54:47,868 --> 00:54:52,873
"I am", was a very very
646
00:54:52,915 --> 00:54:55,376
important theme,
647
00:54:55,418 --> 00:54:57,628
that ran through the dances.
648
00:54:59,630 --> 00:55:01,382
"I am."
649
00:55:03,968 --> 00:55:07,513
Stand in your own
being no matter what.
650
00:55:08,723 --> 00:55:10,850
It's very important to have that
651
00:55:10,891 --> 00:55:15,313
because it transcends dance,
652
00:55:15,354 --> 00:55:20,318
and it opens the person
to a new realization
653
00:55:20,359 --> 00:55:25,031
or consciousness of
who they are
654
00:55:25,072 --> 00:55:29,243
and how to be who they are.
655
00:55:44,342 --> 00:55:47,553
♪ I wanna go where
the northwind blows ♪
656
00:55:47,595 --> 00:55:51,724
♪ Wind Blows, wind blows ♪
657
00:55:51,766 --> 00:55:55,394
♪ I wanna know what
the falcon knows yeah ♪
658
00:55:55,436 --> 00:56:00,274
♪ Falcon knows, falcon knows ♪
659
00:56:00,316 --> 00:56:01,525
- That whole last section.
660
00:56:01,567 --> 00:56:03,194
I didn't know how I did it.
661
00:56:04,570 --> 00:56:06,447
I couldn't feel
it from here down.
662
00:56:06,489 --> 00:56:08,199
I mean, it was like, okay
663
00:56:08,240 --> 00:56:10,618
I know there's something
there holding me up,
664
00:56:10,659 --> 00:56:12,661
and just plow on through it.
665
00:56:18,167 --> 00:56:22,046
♪ I don't want no
store bought bed ♪
666
00:56:22,088 --> 00:56:24,673
♪ I want the clouds
over my head ♪
667
00:56:24,715 --> 00:56:25,925
♪ Be free ♪
668
00:56:25,966 --> 00:56:28,469
♪ Ain't no time to be afraid ♪
669
00:56:28,511 --> 00:56:33,057
♪ Yeah, mother save your child ♪
670
00:56:33,099 --> 00:56:34,809
- And when it comes
to that last step,
671
00:56:34,850 --> 00:56:37,728
you dig down in there like
you have never dug it before.
672
00:56:37,770 --> 00:56:41,732
♪ In the sky, in the sky ♪
673
00:56:47,905 --> 00:56:51,200
♪ I want those clouds
over my head ♪
674
00:56:51,242 --> 00:56:54,745
♪ Over my head ♪
♪ Over my head ♪
675
00:56:54,787 --> 00:56:57,456
♪ I don't want no
store bought bed ♪
676
00:56:57,498 --> 00:56:58,874
♪ Yeah ♪
677
00:56:58,916 --> 00:57:01,794
♪ No more bed ♪
♪ No more bed ♪
678
00:57:01,836 --> 00:57:06,382
No matter what others
may think of you,
679
00:57:09,552 --> 00:57:10,761
this is who you are.
680
00:57:14,265 --> 00:57:18,853
How important is that
to you to be able to say
681
00:57:18,894 --> 00:57:23,023
through your movement,
through your being, I am.
682
00:57:29,196 --> 00:57:30,489
Thunderous applause.
683
00:57:31,532 --> 00:57:33,576
Alvin stood right next to me.
684
00:57:35,035 --> 00:57:36,412
The curtain had been down
685
00:57:36,454 --> 00:57:38,205
for a little bit and people
were still applauding.
686
00:57:39,623 --> 00:57:41,417
I'm like dripping in sweat.
687
00:57:42,626 --> 00:57:46,755
I'm going like, whoa
got through that one.
688
00:57:46,797 --> 00:57:49,925
And he says to me, "Now what?"
689
00:57:51,218 --> 00:57:53,471
Like what is he
going to do next?
690
00:57:55,931 --> 00:57:57,349
What next?
691
00:58:24,293 --> 00:58:27,213
- You have the
anxiety of creating,
692
00:58:27,254 --> 00:58:32,760
you have the euphoria, of a
creation being successful.
693
00:58:36,972 --> 00:58:41,227
Alvin, I think he
took on too much.
694
00:58:41,268 --> 00:58:43,979
Some say the Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theater
695
00:58:44,021 --> 00:58:46,982
is the most innovative dance
company in the world.
696
00:58:47,024 --> 00:58:49,735
Its popularity and
dazzling performances
697
00:58:49,777 --> 00:58:52,488
have been experienced
by 10 million people,
698
00:58:52,530 --> 00:58:56,992
43 States, 44 countries
on six continents.
699
00:58:57,034 --> 00:58:59,662
My guest is the world
renowned choreographer
700
00:58:59,703 --> 00:59:01,664
and artistic
director, Alvin Ailey.
701
00:59:01,705 --> 00:59:02,665
Good to have you here.
702
00:59:02,706 --> 00:59:04,375
Thank you, it's nice
to be here.
703
00:59:04,416 --> 00:59:06,752
(Alvin speaking French}
704
00:59:06,794 --> 00:59:08,837
Alvin Ailey,
director of the
705
00:59:08,879 --> 00:59:11,924
Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theater who's just returned
706
00:59:11,966 --> 00:59:14,552
from a very successful
tour in the Soviet Union.
707
00:59:14,593 --> 00:59:18,013
- We are adding
Mr. Aileys piece at...
708
00:59:18,055 --> 00:59:21,308
- Every fall, every spring time,
709
00:59:21,350 --> 00:59:24,562
every season, there you are
710
00:59:24,603 --> 00:59:28,023
at the mill, grinding it out.
711
00:59:34,405 --> 00:59:36,615
- The problem is that
if you're a black
712
00:59:36,657 --> 00:59:39,451
anything in this country we
wanna put you into a bag.
713
00:59:40,911 --> 00:59:43,205
People sometimes say well you
know, why is he doing that?
714
00:59:43,247 --> 00:59:46,292
No why can't he stick to
the blues to the spirituals?
715
00:59:46,333 --> 00:59:48,168
I'm also a 20th century American
716
00:59:48,210 --> 00:59:50,379
and I respond to
Bach and Ellington,
717
00:59:50,421 --> 00:59:52,506
Denswell Britain,
and Simon Barber.
718
00:59:52,548 --> 00:59:53,507
And why shouldn't I?
719
00:59:56,427 --> 00:59:59,888
So I don't like to be pinned
down as a choreographer.
720
01:00:07,896 --> 01:00:12,860
- Oftentimes isolated,
black creators are used.
721
01:00:13,902 --> 01:00:15,696
Everybody used him.
722
01:00:15,738 --> 01:00:18,907
As see, this is the
progress we're making.
723
01:00:20,534 --> 01:00:23,162
See, we're not racist.
724
01:00:23,203 --> 01:00:24,496
We have Alvin Ailey.
725
01:00:34,256 --> 01:00:35,466
- When you were
making "Revelations"
726
01:00:35,507 --> 01:00:37,259
did you know that you'd
be doing it forever?
727
01:00:37,301 --> 01:00:39,219
No.
728
01:00:39,261 --> 01:00:40,346
Does it bother you?
729
01:00:40,387 --> 01:00:42,097
In a way it does.
730
01:00:42,139 --> 01:00:44,516
Isn't that strange? Maybe I
can't accept success because,
731
01:00:44,558 --> 01:00:46,018
every time I see, I
see "Revelations" now,
732
01:00:46,060 --> 01:00:48,687
after all these
years, man since 1960,
733
01:00:48,729 --> 01:00:50,439
I mean, I saw it in
Atlanta the other night
734
01:00:50,481 --> 01:00:52,650
and everybody had come
to see "Revelations"
735
01:00:52,691 --> 01:00:53,984
and it still worked.
736
01:00:58,072 --> 01:01:01,158
- They wanted something that
they could feel uplifted by.
737
01:01:03,327 --> 01:01:07,289
What about the troubled artist
who was oftentimes turned in
738
01:01:07,331 --> 01:01:12,294
and barbed, who is confused
and looking for form.
739
01:01:14,004 --> 01:01:15,464
Looking for form.
740
01:01:36,694 --> 01:01:38,445
Let's
go to the ballet.
741
01:01:41,281 --> 01:01:44,034
You have this
creature, this wounded animal.
742
01:01:46,370 --> 01:01:47,746
She's angry at herself.
743
01:01:47,788 --> 01:01:50,165
She's angry at probably
at her creative forces.
744
01:01:50,207 --> 01:01:52,084
She's angry at, like
all creative artists,
745
01:01:52,126 --> 01:01:54,503
at not doing exactly with
herself what she wanted to do.
746
01:01:54,545 --> 01:01:56,839
She's angry at the
society around her.
747
01:01:56,880 --> 01:01:59,842
She's angry at the world
that that allowed this thing
748
01:01:59,883 --> 01:02:01,468
to happen to her, whatever
it is she's allowed.
749
01:02:01,510 --> 01:02:03,387
She's angry at the
weakness in herself.
750
01:02:06,098 --> 01:02:09,727
- This was a very
vulnerable thing to witness
751
01:02:11,603 --> 01:02:14,982
but I saw him really
trying to go in search of,
752
01:02:15,023 --> 01:02:18,610
I believe, what had probably
made him a choreographer.
753
01:02:18,652 --> 01:02:20,904
He wanted a poetry.
754
01:02:25,617 --> 01:02:28,787
- Creation is a
very lonely place.
755
01:02:29,955 --> 01:02:33,792
Lonely in the fact that
nobody can help you.
756
01:02:36,336 --> 01:02:41,300
He was possessed and he
had to serve that god.
757
01:02:52,311 --> 01:02:54,521
- Alvin is very private.
758
01:02:56,857 --> 01:02:58,233
I've worked with him long time
759
01:02:58,275 --> 01:03:01,987
and he invited me to
his house only once.
760
01:03:03,530 --> 01:03:06,742
He wanted to open up a door
for me to more close to him.
761
01:03:09,119 --> 01:03:13,415
Somehow I feel I
wanted him to be up
762
01:03:13,874 --> 01:03:16,585
had to put in a
pedestal?
763
01:03:16,627 --> 01:03:18,295
I mean, I wanted him
to be there.
764
01:03:18,337 --> 01:03:21,006
It's not the here with me.
765
01:03:24,343 --> 01:03:27,262
- Sometimes your name
becomes bigger than yourself.
766
01:03:28,806 --> 01:03:30,724
Alvin Ailey.
767
01:03:30,766 --> 01:03:34,228
Do you really know who
that is or what is?
768
01:03:37,898 --> 01:03:39,858
You see a name, but
I don't see a man.
769
01:06:39,413 --> 01:06:41,832
- He was working at
a feverish pitch,
770
01:06:41,873 --> 01:06:45,210
this stream of consciousness.
771
01:06:48,338 --> 01:06:51,967
He was totally immersed.
772
01:09:40,844 --> 01:09:44,389
- He was exhausted
from trying to meet
773
01:09:44,431 --> 01:09:48,018
the demands of the board,
the community everything.
774
01:09:48,059 --> 01:09:50,896
Oh, do another ballet. Oh,
doing this. Oh do that.
775
01:09:54,191 --> 01:09:57,235
He talked to me at
times about the company
776
01:09:57,277 --> 01:10:01,072
not being the Alvin Ailey
American Dance Theater
777
01:10:03,408 --> 01:10:06,703
it could be the
American Dance Theater.
778
01:10:06,745 --> 01:10:09,497
And I remember saying to him,
what are you talking about?
779
01:10:09,539 --> 01:10:10,707
Where are you going?
780
01:10:56,753 --> 01:10:59,798
- One day, my telephone
rang a voice said,
781
01:10:59,839 --> 01:11:05,345
"you know, Alvin is running
around, throwing things around
782
01:11:05,387 --> 01:11:08,431
and everybody has cleared
out of the office."
783
01:11:12,727 --> 01:11:16,940
Alvin pushed the door open,
he just looked at me.
784
01:11:19,359 --> 01:11:23,905
A look that I had never
seen from him before.
785
01:11:23,947 --> 01:11:30,412
I said, "Alvin, what do you
want me to do?"
786
01:11:32,247 --> 01:11:34,332
So he said,
787
01:11:34,374 --> 01:11:38,253
"all I want you to do is
take care of the company."
788
01:11:38,295 --> 01:11:40,588
So, I said,
789
01:11:40,630 --> 01:11:46,803
"well, I am always going
to do just that.
790
01:11:46,845 --> 01:11:49,597
You don't have to
worry about that."
791
01:11:50,181 --> 01:11:52,267
Then he disappeared.
792
01:11:55,437 --> 01:11:58,106
Alvin's not well.
793
01:12:57,457 --> 01:13:01,961
- I believe that there's
always something one's gift,
794
01:13:02,003 --> 01:13:06,049
one's genius separates
one from his colleagues,
795
01:13:06,091 --> 01:13:07,634
his community.
796
01:13:08,385 --> 01:13:10,428
I believe that he had
that demon,
797
01:13:10,470 --> 01:13:14,015
that demon that says that,
if I have gotten this far,
798
01:13:14,057 --> 01:13:18,103
it's because I have pulled
one over on somebody
799
01:13:19,312 --> 01:13:22,440
and that any day now I'm
going to be found out.
800
01:13:24,818 --> 01:13:27,654
I think it's going to
something like a self-loathing
801
01:13:27,695 --> 01:13:31,491
that comes with
not feeling worthy,
802
01:13:31,533 --> 01:13:32,992
even though you've proven it.
803
01:13:33,034 --> 01:13:36,287
If you look at Revelations
is one the great dances
804
01:13:36,329 --> 01:13:38,206
of the 20th century.
805
01:13:43,044 --> 01:13:46,339
Who could love him
or were they loving
806
01:13:46,381 --> 01:13:48,800
what he represented.
807
01:13:48,842 --> 01:13:52,137
His gift, his fame
what have you.
808
01:14:01,896 --> 01:14:04,858
Who could love him.
809
01:15:12,634 --> 01:15:15,887
- He made a nice
duet for me.
810
01:15:17,096 --> 01:15:19,474
It was so much fun.
811
01:15:19,516 --> 01:15:21,309
I think he discovered
different way.
812
01:15:22,685 --> 01:15:25,980
It's not a new
Alvin, but something...
813
01:15:27,565 --> 01:15:30,109
Like a winter passed, you
know, took off the jacket.
814
01:15:32,737 --> 01:15:35,156
- See now if I had known
about this television thing
815
01:15:35,198 --> 01:15:37,033
I would've done my
hair like yours Rodney
816
01:15:38,326 --> 01:15:39,452
I would have been up
until five o'clock
817
01:15:39,494 --> 01:15:40,870
in the morning,
twisting and turning.
818
01:15:40,912 --> 01:15:42,372
I just wash
it. I don't do anything.
819
01:15:42,413 --> 01:15:44,290
- You don't do
anything to it?
820
01:15:44,332 --> 01:15:45,708
You did it yourself?
821
01:15:45,750 --> 01:15:46,834
I don't do
anything, I just don't comb it.
822
01:15:46,876 --> 01:15:48,127
- No, I mean, how
did it get that way.
823
01:15:48,169 --> 01:15:49,295
I just,
824
01:15:49,337 --> 01:15:50,129
- You twisted it.
825
01:15:50,171 --> 01:15:51,381
No.
826
01:15:51,422 --> 01:15:54,175
- Rodney, now no,
no, no, no, no.
827
01:15:54,217 --> 01:15:56,094
You're among friends.
828
01:16:01,432 --> 01:16:04,227
- He wasn't letting go.
And that was a good thing.
829
01:16:05,770 --> 01:16:07,522
It was a sense of renewal.
830
01:16:09,232 --> 01:16:13,820
The only direction to go
is forward into the future.
831
01:16:21,369 --> 01:16:22,662
What
are the aims and goals
832
01:16:22,704 --> 01:16:24,205
of the American Dance Theater.
833
01:16:25,415 --> 01:16:27,584
- To provide a place of
beauty and excitement,
834
01:16:27,625 --> 01:16:30,545
a place where other
choreographers experiment,
835
01:16:30,587 --> 01:16:32,338
to provide a place where,
836
01:16:32,380 --> 01:16:35,216
where people can come and feel
like they can add themselves
837
01:16:35,258 --> 01:16:38,428
and then reap benefits
of what they've put in.
838
01:16:40,096 --> 01:16:43,349
I want it to be easier
than it was for me.
839
01:16:49,439 --> 01:16:52,442
- I had been invited to
come and make a work
840
01:16:52,483 --> 01:16:54,110
for the Ailey Company.
841
01:16:56,112 --> 01:16:59,949
Around this time, Arnie Zane,
my companion and I,
842
01:16:59,991 --> 01:17:02,744
were already on the
cover of Dance Magazine.
843
01:17:02,785 --> 01:17:05,413
Many people were saying
we were the flavor
844
01:17:05,455 --> 01:17:08,708
of the month of the
downtown Avant Garde Dance.
845
01:17:10,168 --> 01:17:14,088
We were doing something that
was oftentimes improvisational.
846
01:17:14,130 --> 01:17:17,175
And I think he wanted
some of that.
847
01:17:17,800 --> 01:17:19,761
More than anything.
I think he wanted to stay
848
01:17:19,802 --> 01:17:22,597
in touch with new
developments in the field.
849
01:17:22,639 --> 01:17:24,932
And I'm proud to say
that he took me seriously
850
01:17:24,974 --> 01:17:26,017
in that regard.
851
01:17:29,479 --> 01:17:32,857
I remember him coming in and
seeing the rough housing,
852
01:17:32,899 --> 01:17:37,445
gestural language of Fever
Swamp and him saying to me
853
01:17:37,487 --> 01:17:39,947
something that moves
me very much right now.
854
01:17:39,989 --> 01:17:42,116
He said, "don't
hurt my boys Bill,
855
01:17:43,076 --> 01:17:45,203
don't hurt my boys."
856
01:17:46,663 --> 01:17:49,248
When he said, boys it
meant that he loved them.
857
01:17:50,500 --> 01:17:53,961
He loved them because
he was no longer lonely.
858
01:17:54,003 --> 01:17:57,256
And he had actually been
given the wherewithal to open
859
01:17:57,298 --> 01:18:01,969
up this field to people
like himself.
860
01:18:02,345 --> 01:18:03,554
My boys.
861
01:18:03,596 --> 01:18:07,975
- All right so, I said,
"do you hear Michael?"
862
01:18:08,017 --> 01:18:11,312
You're here. You're
facing this way.
863
01:18:11,354 --> 01:18:14,982
Jackie is bringing
you here. Okay.
864
01:18:15,024 --> 01:18:18,486
So here's the deal. You
guys are blades of grass.
865
01:18:18,528 --> 01:18:20,738
You're black folk
Who've been murdered.
866
01:18:20,780 --> 01:18:22,448
You become part of the soil.
867
01:18:22,490 --> 01:18:25,034
And then the gatherer is
come and Step over you.
868
01:18:25,076 --> 01:18:27,537
And they start gathering
the souls, right?
869
01:18:27,578 --> 01:18:29,163
Putting, gathering them back
870
01:18:29,205 --> 01:18:32,458
so they can regenerate, got me?
871
01:18:32,500 --> 01:18:35,169
So that's, what's happened.
So, so this is slow.
872
01:18:36,254 --> 01:18:38,631
Right, right.
873
01:18:40,091 --> 01:18:44,762
- Resurrection, every
time a dancer walks in.
874
01:18:46,180 --> 01:18:49,183
There's another piece of
him being resurrected.
875
01:18:52,395 --> 01:18:56,357
Mr. Ailey' was just watching
this whole cycle happen,
876
01:18:56,399 --> 01:18:58,943
and helping to guide
helping to push through.
877
01:19:29,932 --> 01:19:34,896
- I was walking across
57th street and
878
01:19:34,937 --> 01:19:36,731
I saw Alvin.
879
01:19:36,773 --> 01:19:41,110
I said, "hi, Alvin,
how's everything."
880
01:19:41,152 --> 01:19:42,904
He said, "it's all
right. It's all right."
881
01:19:42,945 --> 01:19:46,532
But he didn't speak about
anything. It was like that.
882
01:19:46,574 --> 01:19:49,535
So I said, "well, okay.
883
01:19:49,577 --> 01:19:53,206
I hope to see you may I'll come
to the season. " Like that.
884
01:19:56,083 --> 01:19:59,754
He just looked thinner
to me and a little drawn.
885
01:19:59,796 --> 01:20:04,550
He wasn't reacting in a
way that I was used to.
886
01:20:08,721 --> 01:20:12,475
- People's appearances
were changing.
887
01:20:12,517 --> 01:20:17,480
They were getting thinner
and, and um,
888
01:20:20,233 --> 01:20:23,736
and they were dying around you.
889
01:20:23,778 --> 01:20:27,448
And I guess all you
could hope for
890
01:20:27,490 --> 01:20:30,743
that it wasn't you.
891
01:20:33,704 --> 01:20:38,668
And you prayed that it
wasn't anybody close to you.
892
01:20:48,553 --> 01:20:52,598
- Alvin wanted me to meet
him at this restaurant.
893
01:20:53,599 --> 01:20:56,394
We were picking over stuff,
894
01:20:56,435 --> 01:20:58,688
you know, this food that
I wasn't eating,
895
01:20:58,729 --> 01:21:00,523
that he wasn't eating.
896
01:21:00,565 --> 01:21:02,358
Both of us, knew what
we were there for,
897
01:21:06,237 --> 01:21:08,114
but he had to declare it anyway.
898
01:21:09,240 --> 01:21:11,951
He said, "would you
take over the company?"
899
01:21:21,085 --> 01:21:24,797
I had been told ahead of
time that he was very ill.
900
01:21:28,342 --> 01:21:30,177
At that time people
were retreating
901
01:21:30,219 --> 01:21:35,057
from saying anything about
AIDS related illnesses.
902
01:21:40,688 --> 01:21:43,482
- There were probably
people he would imagine,
903
01:21:43,524 --> 01:21:45,526
they would react disfavorably
904
01:21:45,568 --> 01:21:49,655
to having quote
this guilty disease.
905
01:21:50,865 --> 01:21:53,242
This disease is in
some people's mind
906
01:21:54,702 --> 01:21:56,913
you get what you deserve.
907
01:21:56,954 --> 01:21:58,915
And we have loved
you all these years
908
01:21:58,956 --> 01:22:02,209
and giving you this platform
to go out and do that dancing
909
01:22:02,251 --> 01:22:05,796
and then, then look at your
dirty life and all this,
910
01:22:05,838 --> 01:22:08,049
as we used to hear
when I was a child
911
01:22:08,090 --> 01:22:11,177
what's done in the dark
will come to the light.
912
01:22:11,218 --> 01:22:13,346
And I purposely
taking on the voice
913
01:22:13,387 --> 01:22:16,682
of a Southern Baptist
because I'm sure,
914
01:22:16,724 --> 01:22:19,560
be it that his mother, be
that many people around him.
915
01:22:19,602 --> 01:22:23,439
There was this feeling
that, as I say
916
01:22:23,481 --> 01:22:26,275
men are men on the early
stage and women are women
917
01:22:26,317 --> 01:22:29,779
on the early stage
and they are exemplary
918
01:22:29,820 --> 01:22:33,699
and they are the survivors
of, of racism and slavery.
919
01:22:33,741 --> 01:22:35,743
And they are beautiful
and they are strong
920
01:22:35,785 --> 01:22:38,412
and they will live forever
and leap higher and higher.
921
01:22:38,454 --> 01:22:40,915
Are you telling me
that they have sex
922
01:22:40,957 --> 01:22:43,501
and they have sex
that could kill them.
923
01:22:44,710 --> 01:22:47,588
You telling me
Mr. Ailey himself?
924
01:22:47,630 --> 01:22:50,257
Oh, that's too much.
That's too much.
925
01:22:50,299 --> 01:22:52,802
We have to edit that
out of the history.
926
01:22:52,843 --> 01:22:57,807
And he participated in
the editing of it.
927
01:22:58,265 --> 01:22:59,809
He was alone.
928
01:22:59,850 --> 01:23:04,063
What community of gay people
was he with that could say,
929
01:23:04,105 --> 01:23:06,899
"Alvin then this is
happening to us."
930
01:23:11,654 --> 01:23:15,032
- When he got ill, they
put a couch in the studio.
931
01:23:17,076 --> 01:23:18,995
He wasn't really
working with us anymore.
932
01:23:19,036 --> 01:23:21,706
He couldn't, but he
wanted to be around us.
933
01:23:21,747 --> 01:23:24,458
So as opposed to lay at
home, he would just lay
934
01:23:24,500 --> 01:23:26,877
in the couch or just kind
of lounge around them,
935
01:23:26,919 --> 01:23:28,713
Just be with us.
936
01:23:32,675 --> 01:23:35,469
There's a denial that you want
to have about your friend.
937
01:23:36,679 --> 01:23:39,348
You always want to think
that could be a miracle.
938
01:23:39,390 --> 01:23:42,518
Cause miracles do happen.
939
01:23:42,560 --> 01:23:44,854
Some people do get better.
940
01:23:44,895 --> 01:23:47,898
People do heal.
941
01:23:47,940 --> 01:23:50,026
So it is possible.
942
01:23:51,819 --> 01:23:54,613
It could happen, he
could pull through this,
943
01:23:54,655 --> 01:23:56,032
miracles do happen.
944
01:23:58,868 --> 01:24:00,327
- Hey Alvin, what's
up. Now listening here.
945
01:24:00,369 --> 01:24:01,662
You got to hurry
up and get better.
946
01:24:01,704 --> 01:24:03,748
I'm waiting on you
because you know,
947
01:24:03,789 --> 01:24:06,500
I'm trying to do this but
I need to be inspired.
948
01:24:06,542 --> 01:24:08,586
I need your inspiration brother
949
01:24:08,627 --> 01:24:09,920
you got to get out of here.
950
01:24:09,962 --> 01:24:11,422
You understand what I'm saying?
951
01:24:11,464 --> 01:24:16,177
Hi, we miss you hope you're
feeling better
952
01:24:17,511 --> 01:24:18,971
- we want you to get
better so you can come back
953
01:24:19,013 --> 01:24:20,806
and reprimand us again.
954
01:24:44,747 --> 01:24:51,378
- I remember we were opening on
December the third, I think.
955
01:24:51,420 --> 01:24:55,716
And Alvin died
on the first.
956
01:24:55,758 --> 01:25:00,221
Oh God, I wish he'd been able
to come to this opening
957
01:25:00,262 --> 01:25:03,432
but we put on...
958
01:25:10,022 --> 01:25:12,441
But I called George Faison.
959
01:25:12,483 --> 01:25:16,153
I said, George
960
01:25:20,741 --> 01:25:22,076
that moved me a great deal.
961
01:25:22,118 --> 01:25:24,662
I said, we've got
to celebrate Alvin.
962
01:25:25,830 --> 01:25:29,208
And he put together a
wonderful performance.
963
01:25:30,751 --> 01:25:35,714
And at the end, after
Revelations and bows
964
01:25:36,507 --> 01:25:42,304
all of a sudden I had let
down a big picture of Alvin
965
01:25:42,346 --> 01:25:44,473
and there's absolute
quiet in the theater.
966
01:25:44,515 --> 01:25:49,478
The entire theater rose at once
967
01:25:49,979 --> 01:25:54,400
and just quietly stood there.
968
01:25:54,441 --> 01:26:00,573
And the dancers had been given
flowers and they all turned
969
01:26:00,614 --> 01:26:04,410
and put them in front
of the Alvin's picture.
970
01:26:06,704 --> 01:26:08,497
And we brought
the curtain down.
971
01:26:12,251 --> 01:26:15,212
With the performance the
next night, we kept going.
972
01:27:21,195 --> 01:27:22,696
- Mr Ailey?
973
01:27:27,743 --> 01:27:30,120
Mr Ailey!
974
01:27:37,127 --> 01:27:40,506
You see in films that
people do
975
01:27:40,547 --> 01:27:42,800
and there's this
dramatic death rattle.
976
01:27:42,841 --> 01:27:45,386
And goes like
like this.
977
01:27:45,427 --> 01:27:49,807
Alvin breathed in and
never breathed out.
978
01:27:51,433 --> 01:27:53,602
That was it.
979
01:27:53,644 --> 01:27:56,021
We're his breath out.
980
01:27:56,063 --> 01:27:57,606
We are his breath out.
981
01:27:57,648 --> 01:27:59,358
We are.
982
01:27:59,400 --> 01:28:02,027
Yeah, so that's
what, we're floating on.
983
01:28:02,069 --> 01:28:04,196
That what we're living
on, the
984
01:28:04,238 --> 01:28:09,702
♪ Alive, alive I know he is ♪
985
01:28:13,539 --> 01:28:18,502
♪ Alive, oh yeah ♪
986
01:28:19,837 --> 01:28:22,214
♪ He is, he is risen ♪
987
01:28:39,606 --> 01:28:43,986
♪ He's alive, alive
alive alive alive ♪
988
01:28:50,200 --> 01:28:57,583
♪ Alive alive
alive alive ♪
989
01:29:04,256 --> 01:29:07,634
♪ I am free, I am free, free
indeed, oh free indeed ♪
990
01:29:07,676 --> 01:29:11,680
♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah,
hallelujah, hallelujah ♪
991
01:29:11,722 --> 01:29:15,476
♪ It's a new life for me here ♪
992
01:29:15,517 --> 01:29:18,729
♪ It's new life for me here ♪
993
01:29:18,771 --> 01:29:23,025
♪ It's a new dawn
it's a new day ♪
994
01:29:23,067 --> 01:29:27,529
♪ It's a new life for me
here, it's a new dawn ♪
995
01:29:27,571 --> 01:29:32,076
♪ It's a new day it's
a new life for me ♪
996
01:29:33,243 --> 01:29:36,872
♪ Ooh ooh ooh ooh ♪
69851
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