By Alysse Caldwell
Baltimore Watchdog Staff Writer
Two former Baltimoreans play a prominent role with the prestigious Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, often described as a premiere predominately African American modern dance company based in New York City.
Amarachi Korie, 23, who recognized her gift for dance while attending a Baltimore County-wide public magnet high school, now performs several styles of dance for the company. Recently, she visited Towson University to lead a Master’s Class filled with nearly four dozen area residents who paid $30 for the privilege.
Signing up the eager dance participants at the Center for the Arts building was Linda-Denise Fisher-Harrell, also a Baltimore native who works as director of the Ailey Residency program.
“Continuing the legacy of Mr. Alvin Ailey has been the center of my research and scholarship since coming to Towson University in 2005,” said Fisher-Harrell. “Before coming to Towson, I was a principal dancer with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater from 1992-2005.”
Both Fisher-Harrell and Korie acknowledged being exposed to the Ailey company through workshops, mini performances and Master Classes like the one they conducted on this day, hours before a full performance on campus.
The dance theatre is named after Alvin Ailey, an African American dancer, entrepreneur, director and choreographer who was born 88 years ago in Rogers, Texas. Ailey credits his upbringing for his love of performance arts. He opened his dance company in 1958 with a goal to give black artists the freedom and exposure he felt they deserved. Not long after, in 1969, he established the Ailey School; and six years later, he formed Ailey.
“I attended Carver Center for The Arts and Technology High School,” said Korie, “and funny enough it was actually at Carver where I discovered my love for dance and the idea of going professional.
“I was one of the few people who came to see Ailey at Towson University during one of the matinees shows and I saw Revelations for the first time and my life was literally changed,” said Korie. “I knew that I wanted to be up there [on stage], and I had to get up there however that meant. Now, I get to do it all around the world, so I’m very fortunate.”
Revelations, the performance that snagged Korie, is a piece that reflects the elements of Ailey’s childhood along with the many struggles endured by African Americans. It has become one of Ailey’s most admired performances because it fuses ballet, jazz, modern and several other styles of dance into one piece.
Though the Dance Theater, as well as its second company, Ailey, are both based in New York, both departments create schedules throughout various seasons that allow the tour to continue yearly, Korie explained.
“The goal of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater is to bring dance to the people,” said Korie. “Mr. Ailey’s saying [is] ‘Dance was from the people so we should deliver it back to the people.’ So through the numerous ballets, we do [ just that]; they are all about people as people – our hurts and our joys and our sadness that we go through as people.
“We embody that on stage and deliver it back to the people,” Korie said. “Hopefully people will come looking at us as the dancers on stage and see themselves because we are a reflection of them.”