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A group of dancers on stage, seated and standing around a bench, wearing casual and semi-formal attire. The backdrop features arched, brick structures. The dancers display various expressions and poses, creating a relaxed and urban scene. One dancer holds a newspaper, while others are dressed in bright, colorful clothes, including a red hat and a green shirt with an orange tie.

Repertory

The Groove To Nobody's Business

COMPANIES

CHOREOGRAPHER

WORLD PREMIERE

New York City Center, 2007

ASSISTANTS TO CHOREOGRAPHER

Francine E. Ott and Clarice Young

MUSIC

Ray Charles, Brandon McCune

COSTUMES

Carolyn Meckha Cherry

LIGHTING

Dalila Kee

SCENIC DESIGN

J. Wiese

RUN TIME

17 Minutes

When Camille A. Brown created this comical work joining her explosive, virtuosic movement with Ray Charles’ music and an original score by Brandon McCune, she was a choreographer on the rise, named by Dance Magazine as one of their “25 to Watch”. Imagining the meeting of strangers on a subway, Brown crafts a series of shrewdly observed vignettes that reveal glimpses of humanity in pedestrian movements and ordinary interactions. 

Eight dancers on stage, posing dynamically around a bench. They wear casual and formal outfits, with one holding a newspaper. The central figure in a green shirt stands on the bench, while others sit or pose energetically around him. The background features dark, arched structures.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Camille A. Brown's The Groove to Nobody's Business Photo by Paul Kolnik

A group of seven dancers on stage, each striking a unique pose. The central dancer, wearing a red hat and striped shirt, performs a high kick. Other dancers around are seated or in dynamic positions, with one holding a newspaper. The background features a dark, industrial set design.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Camille A. Brown's The Groove to Nobody's Business Photo by Paul Kolnik

Four dancers sitting on a bench, each with a different pose. From left to right: one dancer leans back wearing a red hat, another sits straight wearing a blue "hip" shirt, the next leans forward holding their head, and the last one holds a newspaper in front of their face. The background features a dark industrial design.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Camille A. Brown's The Groove to Nobody's Business Photo by Paul Kolnik

A dancer in mid-air wearing a suit, holding a newspaper, and performing a high leap on stage. Three other dancers are seated on a bench in the background, clapping and watching, with a dark, industrial set design behind them.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in Camille A. Brown's The Groove to Nobody's Business Photo by Paul Kolnik