Argumentative Research Statement
This project aims to evaluate Alvin Ailey’s influence on the formation of contemporary dance. Ailey is the founder of the famous theater in New York and is known for popularizing modern dance and mixing it with ballet, jazz and elements of African culture. In addition, this paper aims to demonstrate how dance can help creators cope with drug addiction. Alvin Ailey is a phenomenon in the world of contemporary art: choreographer-researcher, choreographer-artist, choreographer-mentor. His career became a whole era and an important milestone in the field of modern dance. Ailey, always remaining a sensitive and democratic artist, created a unique dance style in which various dance techniques and musical genres organically worked towards a great goal. It consisted in creating an expressive, sensual, sincere and emotional dance.
In his productions, Ailey experimented, combining different styles and directions, developing his own unique choreographic style. He applied in his work the experience gained in working with Martha Graham, Honey Holm, Doris Humphrey and, of course, Lester Horton. He often used in his productions stretched positions of the legs in combination with expressive, flexible and amplitude movements of the upper body. The Alvin Ailey troupe included dancers with completely different backgrounds, from ballet dancers to contemporary street performers. Ailey did not re-educate them but allowed them to bring their own dance style to the choreography of the production. This review will focus on how cocaine addiction has influenced the creative path of Alvin Ailey. Ultimately, this led to the reckless behavior of the director and the development of mental disorders.
Despite his untimely death, Ailey continues to be an important figure in the arts because of the ballets he created and the organizations he founded. In 1988, Alvin Ailey was honored with the Kennedy Center’s Lifetime Achievement Award (Topaz, 2018). But this prestigious award was presented to him literally at the end of his life. Ailey died at the age of 58 on December 1, 1989, at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.
Theoretical Approach
The theoretical idea that will be considered during this project is physiological, with a focus on the consequences of drug addiction. Drug addiction is a disease that has biological, psychological and social foundations. It is characterized by a loss of control over the use of willpower, one’s psychological state and social life. Abuse is one of the symptoms of the disease; the disease is constantly and rapidly progressing and often ends in the death of the patient.
The sooner people around determine drug addiction in a person, the easier it is to treat. However, at the first stage of drug use, it is quite difficult to determine the presence of drug dependence. Drug addiction is a disease characterized by a pathological craving for drugs, leading to severe impairment of body functions. In psychology, the need to use a drug or chemical to avoid the discomfort that occurs when the use is stopped, i.e., dependence on chemicals; in sociology – a type of deviant behavior.
Treatment of drug addiction is impossible without the involvement of psychiatrists, narcologists and psychotherapists since this is daily work with the patient on his motivation. Ailey began to abuse drugs at a young age, which led to obvious mental disorders and an uneven breakdown. His career began to decline, and even upon returning to dancing, he could not fully recover. Moreover, he got addicted to drugs due to constant attempts to hide his homosexuality. Thus, he died of AIDS, never fully convalescent from drug addiction.
Rationale
This research helped me to understand the foundations and origins of modern dance, as the repertoire of the Alvin Ailey company was built on a reverence for the history of choreographic modernity. It was and remains very diverse and interesting with original elements. Moreover, I find this topic interesting because the movements of modern dance must be preserved in order to know how it all began and in order to know where it will lead.
Description of the Study
Early Productions and Influence
- Lester Horton
- Participation in productions on Broadway
- Lead Dancer
Ailey began studying modern dance with Lester Horton in 1949 and joined Horton’s dance company the following year. Horton has been involved in all aspects of theater productions: costume design, stage design, lighting, music, and scriptwriting. His fondness for ethnic dance, human sensuality and cultural history is embodied in his productions, which include classics, melodrama, social problems, and farce (Jefferson, 2018). The movement language of his productions was Horton’s movement technique, which is still taught in contemporary dance schools around the world. Horton developed his own approach to dance, which included diverse elements, including Native American folk dance, Japanese hand gestures, and Javanese and Balinese isolation for the upper body, especially the eyes, head and hands.
Drug Addiction
- Cocaine
- The Impact of Addiction on Life and Dance
- Treatment
The rehabilitation of the choreographer, aimed at recovering from addiction, did not give proper results. Despite the fact that Ailey’s condition improved, he continued to take drugs. He underwent long-term treatment and, after a while, was able to return to work. Ailey was provided effective assistance by qualified specialists who had at their disposal the necessary drugs, equipped premises and treatment methods. Ailey was treated with a psychopharmacological approach, in which the treatment was conducted with the help of detoxification drugs, droppers, vitamin therapy, as well as a number of physiotherapeutic agents.
Conclusion
- Feelings
- Technicality
- Mixing Styles
- African Culture
- Revelations
Success and recognition did not come immediately, but Ailey created for himself, for his artists, and they, in turn, inspired by the ideas of their master, created for him. The choreographer left an indelible influence on the understanding of modern dance. Ailey combined African folk motives with American dance. It was an original phenomenon, folk culture, embodied in movements, musical rhythms, and emotionally rich and including centuries-old customs. Ailey promoted African culture in the arts, which the viewer can still observe in the theater named after him.
Alvin Ailey’s modern dance is distinguished by its extravagance and its tendency to mix different styles. In addition to the dances typical of their genre and the promotion of African culture, Ailey dancers often performed a variety of hybrid forms – when one style is mixed with another. The choreographer combined many dance styles within the same concerts in order to show how the sensual part prevails over the dancer’s technique. The experience, talent and imagination of many generations of dance techniques have been invested in the creation and evolution of folk dance (Dunning 51). His style absorbed a bit of dance culture from the West (classical dance, modern, jazz), a little from the East, and Africa to make a harmonious, beautiful, natural dance – an expression of a personal worldview.
Socio-timeframe
In the middle of the 20th century, in difficult times for the United States, the struggle of African-Americans for equal rights and living conditions with the white population, African-American dancers had the opportunity to dialogue with the audience on “loud” stages. The Great Depression was synchronous, and comprehensive and affected all sectors of the world economy. In fact, it was a global economic crisis, but it got its name due to the emotional state in which society was. Moreover, within this time period, the stigmatization of the African-American population was strong. It was a cultural revolution, the consequence of which was the universal respect and recognition of the rights of African Americans in the arts. In addition, the war in Vietnam was a resonant event for the whole society, about which artists spoke in their works. The Vietnam War was the largest conflict of the second half of the twentieth century. Thus, these events that Ailey experienced during his life were reflected in his work.
Bibliography
Dunning, Jennifer. “Amazing Truth.” Alvin Ailey. Routledge, 2018. 47-54.
Jefferson, Denise. Alvin Ailey and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Center. Alvin Ailey. Routledge, 2018. 21-27.
Topaz, Muriel. Alvin Ailey: An American Visionary. Routledge, 2018.
Videography
Ailey. Directed by Jamila Wignot. Performed by Alvin Ailey (Insignia Films, American Masters Pictures, 2021).