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y, January 29
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classes at A&M
By Susan Hopkins
Battalion Staff
For dance students of the Alvin
Ailey Repertory Ensemble, classes
are held regularly on stages all
over the United States. The 12 dan
cers of this specialized group will
not only learn, but also perform
and teach, their artistic skills in
Texas A&M University's Rudder
Auditorium on Thursday, Jan. 29,
and Friday, Jan. 30.
Presented by the MSC Opera
and Performing Arts Society, this
number two-rated traveling com
pany is related to the famed Alvin
Ailey American Dance Theater,
and Ensemble members are from
the Ailey School. The group is
composed of select young profes
sionals talented in jazz, ballet and
modern dance.
Although their form of educa
tion is demanding of both time and
energy, the students learn
choreography, get a feel for the
stage and have a chance to do what
they love best — perform.
Newsweek Magazine says the
Ailey dancers blend a classical and
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modem technique with the ethnic,
dynamic style of the company's
founder -- native Texan Alvin
Ailey. The magazine said the com
pany's dance movements are "col
orful, kinky, quirky and tricky, ex-
tne foxiness of survived
Cary Wilkins, chairman of
OP AS, said the dances are de
signed by Ailey and his students
"to leave a lot to the audience's
imagination -- to make the audi
ence think."
The dancers plan to teach master
classes Friday at Texas A&M and at
Valerie Martin's Gallery of Dance
Arts in College.Station. A limited
number of ticket holders — adults
and children — will talk with the
dancers about their work and
schooling, and will receive instruc
tion and advice about the dance
profession, Wilkins said.
"Current trend with young pro
fessionals is to spread their art to
others," Wilkins said. "The best
way to do this is on a one-to-one
basis through these classes, be
cause they provide audience
understanding about perform
ances."
Established in 1974, the Reper
tory Ensemble constitutes a small
selection of the 2,800 students at
the Alvin Ailey American Dance
Center in Manhattan, N.Y. There,
several hundred young dancers
audition for 100 possible scholar
ships at the school. Those chosen
for scholarship are required to take
from 10 to 12 classes in modern,
jazz and ballet each week. Stu
dents are evaluated constantly on
a personal level, and are counseled
on career opportunities in the
dance field.
Sylvia Waters, artistic director of
the Ensemble and former Ailey
dancer, choreographs most of the
group's dances and teaches the
unique Graham and Horton styles
of dance. Waters is a graduate of
the Julliard School of Dance.
Tickets for the 8 p.m. perform
ances are available at the Memorial
Student Center box office- for
$4.75, $5.75 and $7.25. The dance
classes will be held Friday from
12:30-2 p.m.
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