Alvin Ailey And The Civil Rights Movement - 1233 Words

Alvin Ailey was a phenomenal choreographer, dancer, and activist whose work focused on the narrative of the African American during the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement. Informed and inspired by black church services, gospel music, and everything spiritual, the collaborations between him and Duke Ellington come as no surprise. Ellington’s career also focused on depicting â€Å"the character and mood and feeling of [his] people†, except he executed this artistry through musicianship in composing, conducting, songwriting, and bandleading. Together, they were both able to uplift and celebrate the Black American and their rich culture, during a time of trauma and the unforgivable horrors of slavery, meanwhile revolutionizing and†¦show more content†¦The amount of respect and willingness that these artists carried created environments of conceptual safety wherever they went, which is what truly allowed their art to become as compelling as it is. The two were also fortunate and successful enough to be able to travel globally, which certainly enabled even more space for artistic growth and evolution. The two both shared a love of exploring â€Å"the tempo of life in foreign countries, to savor the various foods, arts, and music of native people.† Ellington had the upper hand in travels since he began performing a bit earlier than Ailey did, but I do believe that his travels to Europe and North Africa definitely catalyzed the creative push it took to create The River. Traveling is the best thing anyone can do for themselves, but it’s that much more essential for an artist to do too. Ellington was one of the first to introduce Spanish spice into jazz and does so within this composition, presented primarily within the introduction of the ever playful french horn. Because this is still very much a ballet piece, this playfulness is also apparent within the wafting woodwinds, and through the percussive instrumentatio n of what might be the glockenspiel. Seeing as this was Ellington’s first composition of symphonic scale, the variety of sounds and moods is extensive, and its complexity would otherwise might not have been as thorough had he not traveled as much as he did. Shortly afterwards in 1971, Ailey choreographedShow MoreRelatedThe Reasons Why Humans Connect All Over The World1548 Words   |  7 Pagesand most important ways to bring a group of people together and the power of art can alter society s views and introduce new ideals into them. For example, Deborah Obalil who wrote Dancin to Freedom: A Historical Analysis of the Rise of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, supports the idea of dance as international:    â€Å"Dance is a form of communication; it is body language taken to a greater extreme. 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