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A black and white photo of four dancers holding hands, walking forward. Two male dancers and two female dancers are wearing patterned costumes. The background is light.

Repertory

A Folk Dance

COMPANIES

  • Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

CHOREOGRAPHER

  • Donald Byrd

WORLD PREMIERE

New York City Center, 1992

MUSIC

Mio Morales

DÉCOR & COSTUMES

Gabrielle Berry

LIGHTING

David Rosenburg

Donald Byrd created this dance especially to highlight the unique talents of four Ailey dancers—Sarita Allen, Marilyn Banks, Gary DeLoatch, and Dudley Willams. A Folk Dance, set to music by Byrd's frequent collaborator Mio Morales, uses patterns drawn from folk dancing and interweaves the history of the Company with choreographic "quotations" from dances in its repertory. The work also aimes to give a sense of the careers and gifts of these veteran Company members—"folk" who Byrd had watched and long admired. Their dance styles were deconstructed, with elements separated, analyzed, and rewoven into a whole. 

A black and white photo of four dancers holding hands, walking forward. Two male dancers and two female dancers are wearing patterned costumes. The background is light.

Andre Tyson, Sarita Allen, Dudley Williams, and Marilyn Banks in Donald Byrd's A Folk Dance Photo by Jack Mitchell. (©) Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. and Smithsonian Institution

A black and white photo of four dancers. Two male dancers and two female dancers are in dynamic poses, with arms extended and legs bent. They are wearing patterned costumes. The background is light.

Andre Tyson, Sarita Allen, Dudley Williams and Marilyn Banks in A Folk Dance Photo by Jack Mitchell. (©) Alvin Ailey Dance Foundation, Inc. and Smithsonian Institution

NEWS & PRESS

"Creating a 'Folk Dance' for Friends of Long Standing" - The New York Times

A group of dancers in flesh tone dresses look up and reach their hands to the sky

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