Today in celebration of Juneteenth, a day recognized annually on June 19 to commemorate the full abolishment of slavery, we at Ailey Extension are pleased to re-share Hope Boykin’s ‘Revelations’ Workshop with Extension students.
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater was born out of the Civil Rights Movement when visionary founder Alvin Ailey saw the need to celebrate the lives and stories of African-Americans and understood the power of dance as a weapon for social change.
Alvin Ailey’s ‘Revelations’ fervently explores the places of deepest grief and holiest joy in the soul. Ailey said that one of America’s richest treasures was the African-American cultural heritage—“sometimes sorrowful, sometimes jubilant, but always hopeful.” This enduring classic is a tribute to that tradition, born out of the choreographer’s “blood memories” of his childhood in rural Texas and the Baptist Church.
We hope you enjoy learning pieces of this iconic choreography in your own home and invite you to share your own interpretations with us by tagging us @AileyExtension on social media.
