Race, by definition, is defined as “a group of people sharing the same culture, history,
language, etc.; an ethnic group.” Race in dance is therefore an expression of the cultural
values of one or more distinct ethnic groups. One example of a choreographer of racial
dance is Alvin Ailey. Born in Rogers, Texas in 1931, Ailey moved to Los Angeles at the
age of twelve and was first exposed to dance while on a field trip. He eventually founded
his own dance company, named the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and dedicated it
to preserving the richness of black cultural expression. His masterpiece Revelations,
premiered in 1960, serves as a touchstone for African American dance in that it provides
valuable insight to the African American experience.
Revelations (1960) is an embodiment of African American culture and, in its time, marked
the beginning of dance’s devotion to African American themes. Ailey expressed a wish to
incorporate the powerful church music of his youth, with the goal of “[showing] the
coming and going and reach of black culture.” This wish eventually took form in
Revelations. It consists of three sections, each containing a handful of live spiritual songs.
The first is called “Pilgrim of Sorrow” and deals with the struggles and sorrows stemming
from the oppression in the South. The second, “Take Me to the Water,” draws on Ailey’s
more personal roots and features a couple’s baptism. The third and last section, “Move,
Members, Move” celebrates gospel music and enacts a Sunday church service. Revelations
also showcases Ailey’s dance techniques, derived from those of Lester Horton: loose hips,
head, neck and torso pulled high, and arms held up and out.
The first section, “Pilgrim of Sorrow,” depicts African Americans’ hope for survival
despite their everyday struggles and sorrows. It utilizes a dim, rust-colored light; this light,
coupled with the dancers’ muted brown costumes, gives the audience an earthy and serious
feeling. In the first song, “I’ve Been Buked,” the dancers have a grounded, solid
foundation, but are also constantly reaching upwards. Their upwards movements suggest
reaching for heaven, and the grounded movements suggest being pulled back to earth. The
dancers’ close formation and mostly synchronized movements indicate a group prayer. The
second song, “Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel,” is more upbeat and features three dancers
spread across the stage. The dancers retain the upward arm movements of the previous
song, but are now often kneeling or lying on the ground. Their movements suggest praying
