Since Ailey’s death in 1989, Judith Jameson has led the company in the spirit of her predecessor. Now in her last year as artistic director, she brings together a collection of works that illustrate the company’s strengths.
Made in 1971, George W Faison’s Suite Otis is a distinctive tribute to the legendary soul singer Otis Redding. Following a snatch of the whistled chorus from Dock of the Bay, the cast throw themselves into a vivid interpretation of Redding’s work, creating male/female dialogues that are elegant, athletic and sometimes very funny. Vibrant group pieces alternate with duets and a standout version of (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction spills over the rim of the stage with sexual joy.
In sharp contrast, Robert Battle’s The Hunt, made earlier this year, is a dynamic six-hander for men that feeds off images of warrior rites, bloodletting and possession. Danced to the clattering percussion of Les Tambours du Bronx, its ferocious tribalism recalls elements of Hofesh Schecter’s work, without the political subtext.
