UMS Concert Program, February 8, 1969: The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater -- A Repertory Company Of American Dance

Concert: Fourth
Complete Series: 3641
Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

The University Musical Society
of
The University of Michigan
Presents
The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
A REPERTORY COMPANY OF AMERICAN DANCE
Saturday Evening, February 8, 1969, at 8:30 Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
DUDLEY WILLIAMS JUDITH JAMISON KELVIN ROTARDIER
GEORGE FAISON MICHELE MURRAY
Alma Robinson Ernest Pagnano Linda Kent
Renee Rose Danny Strayhorn Sylvia Waters
Consuelo Atlas John Medeiros
Artistic Director
ALVIN AILEY
Artistic Associates
Talley Beatty, Louis Johnson
Lighting Designer
Nikola Cernovitch
Fourth Program First Annual Dance Series Complete Programs 3641

PROGRAM
Congo Tango Palace
Choreography Talley Beatty Music: Mh.es Davis and Gn. Evans
(Sketches of Spain)
Costumes: Matthew Cameron
Set in an imaginary Spanish Harlem ballroom, Congo Tango Palace is the closing dance from Mr. Beatty's major work, "Come and Get the Beauty of it Hot."
The Company
Reflections in D
Choreography: Alvin Ailey Music: Duke Ellington
(The Duke Plays Ellington)
A lyric solo dance inspired by the mood, texture and dynamics of the music.
Dudley Williams
Toccata
(Treadmills, Encounters, Treadmills)
Choreography. Talley Beatty Music: Lalo SchiffrinDizzy Glllespie
(Gillespiana)
Another excerpt from Mr. Beatty's "Come and Get the Beauty of it Hot."
The Company
INTERMISSION
Blues Suite
Choreography: Alvin Ailey Music: Traditional
Decor and Costumes: Ves Harper "Been down so long Getting up don't cross my mind. . . . When you see me laughing I'm laughing to keep from crying! . . ."
From the fields and barrelhouses of the southern Negro sprang the blues--songs of lost love, despair, protest, and anger--hymns to the secular regions of his soul.
Good Morning Blues...............The Company
Long Time...........Kelvin Rotardier and The Company
Mean 01' Frisco......Dudley Williams, Danny Strayhorn, George Faison,
Ernest Pagnano, John Medeiros
House of the Rising Sun.....Judith Jamison, Renee Rose (or Consuelo Atlas),
Alma Robinson (or Linda Kent) Backwater Blues . Consuelo Atlas, Kelvin Rotardier or Michele Murray, Danny Strayhorn
In the Evening...........Danny Strayhorn, George Faison,
Kelvin Rotardier, Ernest Pagnano
Yancey Special................The Company
Slow Drag.................The Company
Sham.............Dudley Williams and The Company
Good Morning Blues...............The Company
INTERMISSION
Revelations
Choreography. Alvin Ailey Music: Traditional
Decor and Costumes: Ves Harper
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine."
This suite explores motivations and emotions of American Negro religious muic, which, like its heir, the blues, takes many forms--true spirituals with their sustained melodies, songsermons, gospel songs and holy blues--songs of trouble, of love, of deliverance.
"Spirituals sing of woe triumphantly, knowing well that all rivers will be crossed and the Promised Land is just beyond the stream. The Spirituals ask no pity-for their words ride on the strongest of melodies, the melody of faith. That is why there is joy in their singing, peace in their music, and strength in their soul."
--Langston Hughes
Pilgrim of Sorrow
I Been 'Buked................The Company
Daniel.............George Faison or Danny Strayhorn,
Michele Murray, Linda Kent Fix Me, Jesus...........Judith Jamison, Kelvin Rotardier
Take Me To The Water
Processional.....John Medeiros, Renee Rose, Alma Robinson, Linda Kent,
Judith Jamison, Michele Murray, Ernest Pagnano, George Faison
Honor, Honor . . . Consuelo Atlas, Danny Strayhorn, Sylvia Waters, Michele Murray
Wading in the Water.........Michele Murray, Kelvin Rotardier,
Consuelo Atlas, Renee Rose, Danny Strayhorn
I Want to Be Ready........Dudley Williams or Kelvin Rotardier
Move, Members, Move
Sinner Man............Ernest Pagnano, George Faison
or John Medeiros, Danny Strayhorn
The Day Is Past and Gone............The Company
You May Run Home...............The Company
Rocka My Soul in the Bosom of Abraham.........The Company
"The cultural heritage of the American Negro is one of America's richest treasures. From his roots as a slave, the American Negro--sometimes sorrowing, sometimes jubilant, but always hope?ful--has created a legacy of music and dance which has touched, illuminated, and influenced the most remote preserves of world civilization. I and my dance theatre celebrate in our programs this trembling beauty. We bring you the exuberance of his jazz, the ecstacy of his spirituals, and the dark rapture of his blues.
In our programs we combine our own dance forms with instrumental music, song and acting techniques to express various dramatic themes or moods. This is what I mean by "Dance Theatre." And since American culture has developed from many sources, our program is based on a variety of materials representing many influences. The repertoire of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater now includes the works of Talley Beatty, Geoffrey Holder, Lester Horton, Louis Johnson, Paul Sanasardo, and Joyce Trisler as well as my own--but eventually will include many more works of the amazingly rich and varied American dance field." --Alvin Ailey
STAFF FOR THE ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATER
Technical Direction and Stage Management: Nikola Cernovitch
Wardrobe Direction: Ivy Clark, George Faison Costumes executed by: Ves Harper, Jenny Washington, Terry Leong
Shoes and tights by: Capezio Men's trousers executed by: George Faison, Matthew Cameron
The Alvin Ailey Dance Theater has for several years been the "dance company in residence" at Clark Center for the Performing Arts of the West Side Young Women's Christian Association in New York City, an organization dedicated to the encouraging and furthering of young people in the performing arts. Mr. Ailey wishes to extend his heartfelt thanks to this organization for all the assistance Clark Center has provided in the preparation of the programs.
1968 --INTERNATIONAL PRESENTATIONS --1969
Rackham Auditorium
ISRAEL CHAMBER ORCHESTRA .... 8:30, Monday, February 10
Program: Chaconne in G minor for Strings.........Purczll
"Dumbarton Oaks" Concerto in Eflat major.....Stravinsky
Concerto in C major for Cello..........Haydn
"Yemenite Suite"..............Seter
Divertimento No. 11 in D major.........Mozart
COLOGNE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA . . . 8:30, Saturday, February 22 ORCHESTRA MICHELANGELO DI FIRENZE . 8:30, Sunday, March 23
Tickets: $5.00--$4.00--$2.00
Hill Auditorium
"CARMEN" (Goldovsky Opera Co.) (sold out) . 8:00, Saturday, February 15 BALLET FOLKLORICO OF MEXICO . . 8:30, Wednesday, February 26
Tickets: 6.00--$5.50--$5.00--$4.00--$3.00--$2.00
ANN ARBOR MAY FESTIVAL April 24, 25, 26, 27, 1969
THE PHILADELPHIA ORCHESTRA AT ALL CONCERTS PROGRAMS
THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 8:30 EUGENE ORMANDY, Conductor.
RICHARD TUCKER, Tenor, will sing arias by Mozart, Handel, Meyerbeer, and Puccini. "Classical" Symphony (Prokofieff); "Iberia" (Debussy) and the Symphonic Poem "Pines of Rome" (Respighi).
FRIDAY, APRIL 25, 8:30 THOR JOHNSON, Conductor.
JOANNA SIMON, Mezzosoprano, will sing Pantasileas's aria from Bomarzo (Ginastera). HANS RICHTERHAASER, Pianist, will perform Concerto No. 1 in E minor, Op. 11 (Chopin). UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION performs Psalm ISO, Op. 5 (Ginastera) and the choral work "Fern Hill" by John Corigliano, with Joanna Simon.
SATURDAY, APRIL 26, 8:30
EUGENE ORMANDY, Conductor.
All orchestral program: Overture to Die Meistersinger (Wagner) ; Symphony No. 3 (Charles
Ives); and Symphony No. 1 (Mahler).
SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 2:30 THOR JOHNSON, Conductor.
UNIVERSITY CHORAL UNION performs Schubert's Moss in Aflat, with soloists: MARIA STADER, Soprano; JOANNA SIMON, Mezzosoprano; JOHN McCOLLUM, Tenor; WILLIS PATTERSON, Bass. ZARA NELSOVA, Cellist, performs the Elgar Concerto for Violoncello and Orchestra.
SUNDAY, APRIL 27, 8:30
EUGENE ORMANDY, Conductor.
REGINE CRESPIN, Soprano, will sing "Scheherazade" (Ravel); and the aria, "Ah Perfido,"
Op. 65 (Beethoven). Symphony No. 31 in D major--"Paris" (Mozart), and "La Mer" (Debussy).
Series Tickets: $30.00--$25.00--$20.00--$15.00--$10.00
The gift program initiated by the Board of Directors at the annual meeting, November 5, established contributor categories as follows: Sustaining Members--Gifts of $25; Patrons--Gifts of $100; Sponsors--Gifts of $500; Guarantors--Gifts of $1,000 or more. Detailed information on the com?mensurate privileges provided contributors is now available. Gifts will be deposited in a reserve fund to ensure the future of the Society's presentations. Gifts are tax deductible.
UNIVERSITY MUSICAL SOCIETY
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Gail W. Rector, President James R. Breakey, Jr. Paul G. Kauper
Roscoe O. Bonisteel, VicePresident Douglas D. Crary Wilbur K. Pierpont
Erich A. Walter, Secretary Robben W. Fleming Daniel H. Schurz
E. Thurston Thieme, Treasurer Harlan Hatcher Stephen H. Spurr