Last week I had the pleasure of sitting in on some of Alvin Ailey’s outreach classes in Boston Public Schools. I thought I’d share my experience with an excerpt from the article I wrote for The Bay State Banner.
The dance studio at the Boston Arts Academy’s temporary home in Dorchester radiates with energy. There’s no school on January 17, but a group of dedicated student dancers have assembled for a master class taught by three Alvin Ailey Dance Theater performers, Samantha Figgins, Chalvar Monteiro and Solomon Dumas. Every year Alvin Ailey dancers give back to the Boston community by conducting workshops and master classes in Boston Public Schools. 2019 is the sixtieth anniversary of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the group is celebrating with public service.
“Can you play ‘Samba Magic’?” Monteiro asks Figgins. “And turn it up please.” While the Basement Jaxx songs blasts through the speakers, Monteiro leads the high schoolers through a series of joyful combinations. Figgins and Dumas dance along, demonstrating the organic technique Ailey is known for. Student dancers on the sidelines bust their own moves while waiting their turn to show off their Ailey-inspired skills. After the class the students had to the opportunity to chat with the dancers, getting advice about colleges, career paths and training schedules. That one-on-one access to the professionals left the students beaming with excitement.
Both Monteiro and Dumas are returning, after also participating in Ailey outreach in Boston last year. For Dumas, these programs are especially close to the heart. “I love doing outreach because I’m a product of that,” says Dumas. A Chicago native, Dumas got his start in AileyCamp, another youth-oriented program sponsored by the dance company. That was the first time he realized professional dance was a career avenue for people of color. He says, “There are so many parts of African-American culture that can be performed and preserved on stage.”
Stay tuned to read the full article in The Bay State Banner.