Alvin Ailey's Revelations

Alvin Ailey's Revelations - Section 1: Pilgrim of Sorrow


Alvin Ailey's Revelations - Section 2: Take Me To The Water


Alvin Ailey's Revelations - Section 3: Move, Members, Move!


Revelations is the signature choreographic work of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. It was first produced by Alvin Ailey Dance Theater in New York City, New York on January 31, 1960. Revelations tells the story of African-American faith and tenacity from slavery to freedom through a suite of dances set to spirituals and blues music.
Revelations is divided into three sections "Pilgrim of Sorrow", "Take Me To The Water" and "Move, Members, Move!"
                    Pilgrim of Sorrow
The opening section of Revelations. Ailey described this section as "songs that yearn for deliverance, that speak of trouble and of this world's trials and tribulations." The somber musical mood is reflected in abstract gestures with heads bowed and weighted bodies reaching powerfully upward. Muted lighting effects and brown and skin toned costuming aid in this. In "I've Been Buked!!" nine dancers work in hushed accord, performing a ritual of communal introspection. The "Fix Me Jesus" duet conveys the strength of faith between a woman and her pastor through a subtle unfolding of leanings, balance and leg extensions that speak of trust and conviction of belief.
                    Take Me To The Water
The second section features an enactment of a ceremonial baptism. A large group of dancers clad in white sweep onto the stage as baptismal agents—a tree branch to sweep the earth and a white cloth to cleanse the sky—lead a processional to the stream of purification. To the strains of "Wade in the Water" a devotional leader bearing a large umbrella baptizes a young couple at a river, represented by yards of billowing blue silk stretched across the stage. A raucous ceremony is followed by the meditative solo "I Wanna Be Ready", which communicates a devout man's preparations for death. Created by Ailey in collaborations with its original dancer James Truitte, the solo builds on exercises derived from the Horton modern dance technique.
                  Move, Members, Move!
The final section celebrates the liberating power of 20th-century gospel music. This section includes the propulsive men's trio "Sinner Man" and the famous "Yellow" section, set in a southern Baptist rural church. Eighteen dancers in yellow costumes enact a church service with fans and stools. Stretched across the stage with torsos proudly lifted, the dancers embody the joy of faith contained by complex stepping patterns performed in unison.