Ahead of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater’s performances at the Detroit Opera House March 14-16, the company’s education branch has engaged the community through a variety of efforts — from public school workshops to historical lectures. This community engagement has been a key part of the modern dance company’s goals from the beginning, when it was founded by dancer and choreographer Alvin Ailey in 1958.
“It was Mr. Ailey’s mission to share dance with the community — not only to bring people in to see us but to bring [dance to them],” says Nasha Thomas, master teacher for Ailey Arts in Education, who led the residency in Detroit’s public schools March 4 through 7. “He wanted to be a part of the community where the company was going.”
Each time the company tours to Detroit, going back decades, a couple of Detroit public schools are selected by the district to host weeklong workshops run by Ailey instructors — through a partnership with Detroit Opera — for elementary and middle school students. Different programs are offered for different grade levels, but all tie dance in to the broader academic curriculum, spanning social studies, science, and language arts.
This year, the lucky schools selected were Amelia Earhart Elementary-Middle School in Southwest Detroit and Thurgood Marshall Elementary-Middle School in Pilgrim Village. Earhart Principal Anisa Proud was thrilled to have Ailey in her school.
“I’m really thankful to the organization for coming here, spending the week here, and I just think it’s been great for our students,” Proud says. The opportunity came at the “perfect” time. Between flooding in the area and upheaval in the federal government, the school’s families have been through a lot in recent months. “It’s been a really tough time in Southwest Detroit, … all of that fear. This is bringing joy to the school, and we needed it.”
Everyone involved has witnessed that joy and enthusiasm among the students. Detroit Opera Dance Administrator Kim Smith, who assisted with the school programs, says after the first day, word about the workshop spread among the middle schoolers, and the next day, a dozen more showed up for the class. Proud mentions watching a student who typically struggles in the classroom become a leader in the Ailey workshop.
As the elementary school workshop started on Thursday morning, about 50 fourth and fifth graders — a roughly equal mix of boys and girls — took a seat on the gymnasium floor. Many of them raised their hands to answer Thomas’s questions recapping what they’d learned in the previous two sessions. A warmup followed, which included a short routine the class had put together over the week, complete with a boisterous “Hey!” to the music. A couple of the kids bopped to the beat while they waited to start.
The students then split into groups to continue developing their own short dance sequence based on acrostic poems they’d written earlier. Each group had its own instructor to help them turn their ideas into dance steps and piece them together.
One of those instructors was Brandyn Burton, who joined Earhart in October as the school’s first dance teacher. He says he’s grateful for these kids to get exposure to dance that wasn’t available to him until high school.
“Those are some of the most rewarding things for me — seeing kids be inspired and being able to witness the moment where something clicks for them and they’re truly exposed to what real artistry is like,” he says. “To be able to do that at the elementary or middle school level is amazing.”
The workshops have also generated more interest in his dance electives. He finds that the Ailey curriculum dovetails with the school’s. “I think it’s designed perfectly. It’s a great way to introduce the idea of dance to kids. It’s relatable movement. It’s educational. The way that they set the workshop up is in line with the DPS curriculum and how they learn things. I just think it’s a great way to expose kids to not just dance but arts and culture on a higher level.”
Later, as the session was winding down, Thomas showed the students a video of former Artistic Director Robert Battle speaking about Ailey’s piece “Night Creature,” accompanied by clips of the Ailey dancers performing it. One student let out a “Wow,” as they watched the dancing, and a few broke into spontaneous applause at the video’s conclusion.
The middle school students got in on the fun as well. Their program centered on Alvin Ailey’s signature work, “Revelations,” and included a larger academic element and more complex dance instruction. Earhart eighth grader Allania Council says she appreciated learning about many different types of dance. “We do a lot of new dances — things I’ve never heard of,” she says, calling the movement “challenging.” She says the Ailey instructors were “super sweet.”
Another eighth grader, Itxayana Narvaez, highlighted the students’ opportunities to use their own creativity. “We make our own movement and our own dances, and it’s really fun,” she says. Overall, “I would recommend it. 10/10.”
After learning about “Revelations” and other Ailey repertoire, the students will have a chance to see the company dance live at the Detroit Opera House. Every student who participates in the workshops receives free tickets to a performance.
Thomas says the hope is to broaden students’ horizons. “That was Alvin Ailey’s introduction to dance,” she says. “He went on a school field trip, and that sparked his interest, so hopefully that will spark the interest in some of these young people.”
The Ailey company will be performing two programs across four shows the weekend of March 14-16. The programming will feature new choreography as well as Ailey classics such as “Revelations.”
“It is a masterpiece by Mr. Ailey,” says Ailey dancer Christopher R. Wilson, who has been with the company since 2018. “Because Mr. Ailey was able to create such tangible emotions in ‘Revelations,’ I think that’s why it’s so revered by everyone. I’m so glad Detroit audiences will be able to experience it again.”
Wilson says he vividly remembers Detroit audiences as being especially engaged on the company’s past tours to the city. “Personally, those are my favorite kinds of audiences,” he says. “I’m looking forward to being back and sharing that again.”
For more information and tickets, visit detroitopera.org. Plus, get even more metro Detroit community news at hourdetroit.com.
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