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Title: A CONTRIBUTOR TO AMERICAN DANCE HISTORY
Review: I have no idea of how this tribute to Ailey will strike those who know his work well. I do not. For me it was both enlightening and invigorating. At least from the examples here given, he worked out of a healthy mainstream to create his own variation on many themes. The dancers seem to do very well what they were supposed to do and were very likely to be able to perform in other styles as needed. I should think the Charlie Parker piece will resonate most with the casual viewer although it would seem to me that identifying characters in the dance with specific real life models will detract from one's pleasure. It is the dancer as symbol of emotional states that creates the impact not the reality of any particular person.Overall, then, a very good way for those unfamiliar with Ailey's contributions to begin to appreciate them. I should think others, as with some of the reviewers, will enjoy seeing again the unrepeatable performances of these particular artists.
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