Ailey

Showtimes August 10 - 12:
Tuesday 7:00
Wednesday 5:00 / Thursday 7:00

(USA / 2021 / Directed by Jamila Wignot)

An artistic pioneer whose choreography is known for its graceful, strong depictions of Black American history and traditions, Alvin Ailey transformed the world of dance. In the words of documentary director, Jamila Wignot, his dances “did more than move bodies; they opened minds.”

Layering images, video, and voiceovers from Ailey himself and those who knew him intimately, Wignot weaves together a portrait that feels poetic and nuanced, and that leaves you swimming in sensation. Black and white footage of crowds filing into church, children playing, dance parties, and dusty southern landscapes build an atmosphere as the film takes us from his childhood in segregated Texas through his career on Broadway to the formation of his dance troupe. Colleagues Judith Jamison, Bill T. Jones, and Carmen de Lavallade tell stories that flesh out the full contours of this brilliant and enigmatic man, whose search for truth in movement resulted in choreography that stakes a claim as powerful in our time as in his own.

PG-13 / 1 hr 22 mins.